No..! Good Etiquette? Yes..? Good Etiquette? Legal? Legal? - - PDF document

UTA College of Engineering Fall 2003

Engineering Ethics

Definitions History Case Study Code of Ethics Discussions

Presentation Overview A Few Definitions

Etiquette: Rules of personal behavior and courtesy (e.g. proper dress, interaction) 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).

Vocabulary Words

Good Etiquette? Legal? Moral? Ethical?

Example: Killing an individual

No..!

Good Etiquette? Legal? Moral? Ethical?

Example: Soldier killing an enemy

Yes..?

Historical Overview

If a builder build(s) a house for someone, and 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.

Code of Hammurabi

Babylonian Law (~1750 BC) Socrates (469 - 399 B.C.) Plato (427 - 347 B.C.) Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.)

Developments in Western Philosophy

The Greek Philosophers:

John Locke (1632 - 1704) – “Rights” based Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) - “Duties” based Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832) – Utilitarian based

Philosophy and Ethics

Ethics based on a universal set of rules and principles (after René Descartes 1596 - 1650) Hinduism (~2,000 B.C.) Taoism (Lao Tzu ~ 600 B.C.) Confucism (Kung-Fu Tzu ~ 500 B.C.) Buddhism (Gautama Buddha ~ 500 B.C.)

Eastern Philosophies

Rules Based: Belief in a universal set of rules, principles and values Contextual: Based on the context and the information available for any situation

Contemporary Discourse

Rules (or Principles) based Vs. Contextual (or Situational) Ethics:

Martin Heidegger “The Questions Concerning Technology” (1999) Charles Taylor “The Ethics of Authenticity” (1999) Franciso Varela “Ethical Know-How” (1977)

Post-Modern (1950–...)

Contextual or Situational Relativism

David Hume (1711-1776) Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

Utilitarianism

In Ethics, the theory that takes the ultimate good to be the greatest happiness of the largest number. It defines the rightness of actions in terms of their contribution to the general happiness. Engineering and technological decision making, for the most part, are based on derivatives of utilitarianism Basic tenant: “Greatest good for the greatest number” This gives rise to economic determinism as manifest in: “cost/benefit” or “risk/benefit” analysis

Utilitarianism

Only the total good and not its distribution among people is relevant How to quantify the “greater good” Tends to be anthropocentric Judges by consequences

Problems with Utilitarianism

The “Golden Rule” is a basic tenant in almost all religions (Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim,...) “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

Religion and Ethics Space Shuttle Challenger

Case Study:

Orbiter Liquid Rocket Booster Solid Rocket Booster

The Challenger Disaster

Shuttle Components:

Shuttle Components

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

Brief Chronology Cause of the Disaster

1977 Tests at Thiokol show O-ring leakage Joint is made stronger by changing sizes 1981 Post-launch investigations show signs of O-ring erosion due to hot gases (but not a complete failure of the joint)

Early Problems

January 1985 launch First cold-weather launch (53˚F) Post-launch investigation showed joint failure O-ring unable to seal joint due to rotation at low temperatures July 1985 Thiokol redesigns the joints without O-rings; design not ready by the time the Challenger was to fly

Early Problems

Congress unhappy with NASA over shuttle performance, cost, delays NASA schedules a record number of flights for 1986 Competition with the Russians to be the first to observe Halley’s comet Pressure to launch before President Reagan’s State of the Union address

Political Climate

First launch attempt postponed due to an approaching cold-front. The front stalls. Next launch day set so that Vice President Bush can attend. The cold-front moves in after Bush arrives. Temperature at launch is forecast to be around 29˚F

Days before the launch...

Larry Mulloy, SRB Project Manager, Kennedy Space Center (NASA) Roger Boisjoly, SRB Engineer (MT) Arnie Thompson, SRB Engineer (MT) Joe Kilminster, SRB Engineering Manager (MT) Alan McDonald, SRB Engineering Director (MT) Bob Lund, VP for Engineering (MT) Jerry Mason, GM (MT)

Key Players

Teleconference between NASA (KSC and MSFC) and all engineering groups involved All groups have to give the go-ahead for the launch to take place

Night before launch...

Roger Boisjoly and Arnie Thompson make a 1- hour presentation showing how cold temperatures would increase joint-rotation. They recommend that the launch be postponed. Bob Lund, VP for Engineering, concurs and backs this recommendation.

Night before launch...

Joe Kilminster, (Team Manager, Morton Thiokol) asked by NASA for his decision, also recommends not to launch. Larry Mulloy (Project Manager, NASA) states that the engineering data is inconclusive; then, a 5-minute off-line caucus ensues. Jerry Mason (General Manager, Morton Thiokol) tells his group “We have to make a management decision.”

Night before launch...

During the caucus, Boisjoly and Thompson continue to press their arguments not to launch. They are ignored by Jerry Mason, who eventually asks “Am I the only one who wants to fly?” Management makes a pro-launch list of data, most of which actually supported a decision NOT to launch.

Night before launch...

Jerry Mason then turns to Bob Lund and utters the sentence which has become (in)famous in Engineering Ethics: “Take off your engineering hat and put on your management hat.” Bob Lund reverses his earlier decision not to launch. A vote is taken - only the senior management are allowed to vote. The result: a 4–0 vote in favor of launching.

Night before launch...

The teleconference resumes; Joe Kilminster reports the vote for a launch to NASA. Larry Mulloy promptly accepts without any probing discussions. Alan McDonald (Engineering Director, MT, who was at MSFC) argues for his engineer’s position, but to no avail. Teleconference ends.

Night before launch...

The list had 9 statements 7 of these were actually reasons against a launch 1 statement was a neutral statement of engineering fact 1 statement was about the factor of safety which was not applicable to the discussion at all

Management’s “Pro-Launch” List...

Overnight temperature falls to 8˚F Temperature of O-ring at launch estimated to be 28˚F Coldest previous launch done at 53˚F Coldest O-ring tests by Morton Thiokol done at 41˚F

Day of the launch...

The boosters ignite; the shuttle lifts off. Immediate blow-by of hot gas causes the O-ring seal to fail across a 70-degree arc. Combustion by-product produces glassy oxide which reseals the joint. At T+60 seconds after lift-off, Challenger is hit by the most severe wind-shear it has ever experienced.

The Disaster...

The brittle oxide shatters. Hot gasses quickly burn through the liquid rocket booster. At T+72 seconds, the space shuttle explodes.

The Disaster...

Causes of the accident attributed to: Inability of the O-rings to expand and seal at low temperatures Heat-shield putty did not perform at low temperatures Fit and seating of the O-ring were affected by the low temperatures

The Aftermath...

Biosjoly is taken off the project and subtly harassed by Morton Thiokol; after a few months, he is fired from his job 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

The Aftermath... Professional Code of Ethics

Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public Perform services only in the area of their competence Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees Avoid deceptive acts Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession

NSPE Code of Ethics Comments Questions Discussions