Presentation Overview Definitions Engineering Ethics History UTA College of Engineering Case Study Fall 2003 Code of Ethics Discussions Vocabulary Words Etiquette: Rules of personal behavior and courtesy (e.g. proper dress, interaction) A Few Definitions Laws: A system of predefined rules and punishments (e.g. legal driving age) Morals: Personal rules of right and wrong behavior (derived from a upbringing / religion) Ethics: A code of conduct that defines the “duties” and “rights” of individuals (universally). Example: Example: Killing an individual Soldier killing an enemy No..! Good Etiquette? Yes..? Good Etiquette? Legal? Legal? Moral? Moral? Ethical? Ethical?
Code of Hammurabi Babylonian Law (~1750 BC) If a builder build(s) a house for someone, and Historical Overview does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall(s) in and kill(s) its owner, then that builder shall be put to death. If it kill(s) the son of the owner the son of that builder shall be put to death. Developments in Western Philosophy and Ethics Philosophy Ethics based on a universal set of rules and principles (after René Descartes 1596 - 1650) The Greek Philosophers: John Locke (1632 - 1704) – “Rights” based Socrates (469 - 399 B.C.) Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) - “Duties” based Plato (427 - 347 B.C.) Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832) – Utilitarian Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.) based Contemporary Discourse Eastern Philosophies Rules (or Principles) based Vs. Contextual (or Situational) Ethics: Hinduism (~2,000 B.C.) Taoism (Lao Tzu ~ 600 B.C.) Rules Based: Belief in a universal set of Confucism (Kung-Fu Tzu ~ 500 B.C.) rules, principles and values Buddhism (Gautama Buddha ~ 500 B.C.) Contextual: Based on the context and the information available for any situation
Utilitarianism Post-Modern (1950–...) David Hume (1711-1776) Contextual or Situational Relativism Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) Martin Heidegger “The Questions Concerning In Ethics, the theory that takes the ultimate Technology” (1999) good to be the greatest happiness of the Charles Taylor “The Ethics of Authenticity” (1999) largest number. It defines the rightness of Franciso Varela “Ethical Know-How” (1977) actions in terms of their contribution to the general happiness. Problems with Utilitarianism Utilitarianism Engineering and technological decision making, for the most part, are based on Only the total good and not its derivatives of utilitarianism distribution among people is relevant Basic tenant: “Greatest good for the How to quantify the “greater good” greatest number” Tends to be anthropocentric This gives rise to economic determinism Judges by consequences as manifest in: “cost/benefit” or “risk/benefit” analysis Religion and Ethics Case Study: The “Golden Rule” is a basic tenant in almost all Space Shuttle Challenger religions (Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim,...) “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
The Challenger Disaster Shuttle Components Shuttle Components: Orbiter Liquid Rocket Booster Solid Rocket Booster Brief Chronology Cause of the Disaster 1974 – NASA contracts Morton Thiokol 1976 – NASA accepts the design based on the successful Titan missile program The joints are sealed by: Two synthetic rubber O-rings 177 clevis pins Heat shield putty Early Problems Early Problems January 1985 launch 1977 First cold-weather launch (53 ˚ F) Tests at Thiokol show O-ring leakage Post-launch investigation showed joint failure O-ring unable to seal joint due to rotation at Joint is made stronger by changing sizes low temperatures 1981 July 1985 Thiokol redesigns the joints without O-rings; Post-launch investigations show signs of O-ring design not ready by the time the Challenger was erosion due to hot gases (but not a complete to fly failure of the joint)
Political Climate Days before the launch... Congress unhappy with NASA over shuttle First launch attempt postponed due to an performance, cost, delays approaching cold-front. The front stalls. NASA schedules a record number of flights Next launch day set so that Vice President for 1986 Bush can attend. The cold-front moves in Competition with the Russians to be the first after Bush arrives. to observe Halley’s comet Temperature at launch is forecast to be Pressure to launch before President Reagan’s around 29 ˚ F State of the Union address Key Players Night before launch... Larry Mulloy, SRB Project Manager, Kennedy Space Center (NASA) Roger Boisjoly, SRB Engineer (MT) Teleconference between NASA (KSC and MSFC) and all engineering groups Arnie Thompson, SRB Engineer (MT) involved Joe Kilminster, SRB Engineering Manager (MT) Alan McDonald, SRB Engineering Director (MT) All groups have to give the go-ahead for the launch to take place Bob Lund, VP for Engineering (MT) Jerry Mason, GM (MT) Night before launch... Night before launch... Joe Kilminster, (Team Manager, Morton Thiokol) asked by NASA for his decision, also recommends Roger Boisjoly and Arnie Thompson make a 1- hour presentation showing how cold not to launch. temperatures would increase joint-rotation. Larry Mulloy (Project Manager, NASA) states They recommend that the launch be that the engineering data is inconclusive; then, a postponed. 5-minute off-line caucus ensues. Bob Lund, VP for Engineering, concurs and Jerry Mason (General Manager, Morton Thiokol) tells his group “We have to make a management backs this recommendation. decision.”
Night before launch... Night before launch... Jerry Mason then turns to Bob Lund and utters the sentence which has become (in)famous in During the caucus, Boisjoly and Thompson Engineering Ethics: continue to press their arguments not to launch. “Take off your engineering hat and put on your management hat.” They are ignored by Jerry Mason, who eventually asks “Am I the only one who wants Bob Lund reverses his earlier decision not to to fly?” launch. Management makes a pro-launch list of data, A vote is taken - only the senior management are most of which actually supported a decision allowed to vote. The result: a 4–0 vote in favor of NOT to launch. launching. Management’s Night before launch... “Pro-Launch” List... The teleconference resumes; Joe Kilminster reports the vote for a launch to NASA. The list had 9 statements Larry Mulloy promptly accepts without any 7 of these were actually reasons against a launch probing discussions. 1 statement was a neutral statement of Alan McDonald (Engineering Director, MT, who engineering fact was at MSFC) argues for his engineer’s position, but to no avail. 1 statement was about the factor of safety which was not applicable to the discussion at all Teleconference ends. The Disaster... Day of the launch... The boosters ignite; the shuttle lifts off. Overnight temperature falls to 8 ˚ F Immediate blow-by of hot gas causes the O-ring Temperature of O-ring at launch seal to fail across a 70-degree arc. estimated to be 28 ˚ F Combustion by-product produces glassy oxide Coldest previous launch done at 53 ˚ F which reseals the joint. Coldest O-ring tests by Morton Thiokol At T+60 seconds after lift-off, Challenger is hit by the most severe wind-shear it has ever done at 41 ˚ F experienced.
The Disaster... The Aftermath... Causes of the accident attributed to: The brittle oxide shatters. Inability of the O-rings to expand and seal at low temperatures Hot gasses quickly burn through the liquid rocket booster. Heat-shield putty did not perform at low temperatures At T+72 seconds, the space shuttle explodes. Fit and seating of the O-ring were affected by the low temperatures The Aftermath... Biosjoly is taken off the project and subtly Professional harassed by Morton Thiokol; after a few months, he is fired from his job Code of Ethics In 1987, awarded The Presidential Award for Professional Integrity and Personal Courage In 1988, won the award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility from AAAS In 1988, awarded The Citation of Honor from IEEE NSPE Code of Ethics Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public Comments Perform services only in the area of their competence Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful Questions manner Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees Discussions Avoid deceptive acts Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession
Recommend
More recommend
