Para complementar la discusión del artículo publicado por mi hermano en su blog, sobre la ética como adjetivo y sustantivo, a continuación quiero citar algunos apartes del ingeniero Charles B. Fleddermann quién es profesor del departamento de ingeniería eléctrica y de sistemas de la Universidad de Nuevo México en Albuqerque de su libro: «Engineering Ethics» Estas citas las transcribo en su idioma original para evitar distorsiones en su traducción.
LA ÉTICA PARA ESTE AUTOR ES:
«Ethics is the study of the characteristics of morals. Ethics also deals with the moral choices that are made by each person in his or her relationship with other persons. As engineers, we are concerned with ethics because these definitions apply to all of the choices an individual makes in life, including those made while practicing engineering» (Fleeddermann, 1999, Pag 2).
LA ÉTICA PARA INGENIEROS SE REDUCE DE LA SIGUIENTE MANERA COMO:
«Engineering ethics is the rules and standards governing the conduct of engineers in their role as professionals». (Fleeddermann, 1999, Pag 2).
LA AUTONOMÍA MORAL SE DEFINE DE LA SIGUIENTE MANERA:
«The goal of this book and courses in engineering ethics is to sensitize you to important ethical issues before you have to confront them. [..] Our goal is frequently summed up using the term “moral autonomy”. Moral autonomy is the ability to think critically and independently about moral issues and to apply this moral thinking to situations that arise in the course of professional engineering practice. [..] In discussing engineering ethics, it is important to make a distinctin between personal ethics and professional, or business, ethics, although ther isn’t always a clear boundary between the two. Personal ethics deals with how we treat others in our day-to-day lives. [..] However, professional ethics often involves choices on an organizational level rather than a personal level.» (Fleeddermann, 1999, 3-4).
SOBRE EL ORIGEN DE LA ÉTICA Y LOS PRINCIPIOS ÉTICOS:
«Before proceeding, it is important to acknowledge in a general way the origins of the ethical philosophies that we will be discussing in this book. The Western ethical thought that is discussed here originated in the philosophy of the ancient Greeks and their predecessors. It has been developed through subsequent centuries by many thinkers in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Interestingly, non-Western cultures have independentyly developed similar ethical principles. Although for many individuals, personal ethics are rooted in religious beliefs, this is not true for everyone. Certainly, there are many ethical people who are not religious, and there are numerous examples of nominally religious people who are not ethical. So while the ethical principles that we will discuss come to us filtered through a religious tradition, these principles are now cultural norms in the West, and as such, they are widely accepted regardless of their origin». (Fleeddermann, 1999, 3-4) .
RELACIÓN ÉTICA Y LEYES
«We should also mention the role of law in engineering ethics. The practice of engineering and business is governed by many laws on the international, federal, state and local levels. Many of these laws are based on ethical principles although many are purely of a practical, rather than a philosophical, nature. There is also a distinction between what is legal and what is ethical. Many things that are legal could be considered unethical […] Conversely, just because something is illegal doesn’t mean that it is unethical» (Fleeddermann, 1999, 4).
SEMEJANZA ENTRE PROBLEMAS ÉTICOS Y DISEÑO EN INGENIERÍA
«Ethics problems rarely have a “correct” answer [..] The essence of engineering practice is the design of products, structures, and processes. The design problem is stated in terms of specifications: A device must be designed that meets criteria for performance, aesthetics, and price. Within the limits of these specifications, there are many “correct” solutions. […] Ethical problem solving shares these attributes with engineering design.» (Fleeddermann, 1999, 4-5)
REFERENCIA: FLEDDERMANN, Charles B. Engineering Ethics. Prentice Hall. 1999. New Jersey.
En próximos días estaré complementando estas citas con algunos comentarios personales según mi corta experiencia como ingeniero me lo permita.
