Ethics in engineering

Ethical decision-making is central to the solution to design problems, the intellectual core of engineering. No design problem necessitates a particular solution since the gap between a problem and a solution is contingent. But that gap means that ethical considerations could enter into the core of engineering. We need only imagine an evil genius of an engineer who chooses a solution that will cause unnecessary harm. In fact, however, ethical considerations enter even without an intent to cause harm. In solving a design problem, engineers are to use their special knowledge and skills competently and with due care, but in taking due care, if only to avoid causing unnecessary harm, engineers make ethical judgments. In that way ethical considerations enter the core of engineering.