Today’s Outline

1. Today’s Outline • Reminders • Ethics

2. Reminder • Writing Assignment 3 • revisions due today • Writing Assignment 4 • ethics “case study” • first submission due Friday, Nov 18 • 350-500 words • rewrite due before last class, Friday, Dec 2

3. Next Lectures • Guest(s) Lecture • CVEN 4434 Environmental Engineering Design students • Ethics in Environmental Engineering • reading: Chapters 1-3, Vesilind and Gunn, Engineering, Ethics, and the Environment

4. Next Lecture

5. Ethics

6. Ethics Business Ethics. (listed at #33 on the list of Top Oxymorons)

7. Ethics

8. Ethics • What are ethics? • “systematic analysis of morality” • theories that can be taught and learned through reason and logic • what is learned? • ethical theories = principles • principles can be applied to situations • often expressed as a “code”

9. Ethics • Ethics are not: • morality • about right and wrong • ethics deals with situations in which there is more than right and wrong • serves as a basis for ethics • ethics add reasoning

10. Ethics • Ethics are not: • laws • rules • penalties • based in morality

11. Ethics • Ethics are not: • manners • etiquette • these also governs behavior, but not derived from morality

12. Ethics Institute of Professional Environmental Practice • A Code of Ethics • Hold paramount protection of human health and natural environment; • Comply with applicable statutes, regulations, and standards; • Undertake and accept responsibility for professional assignments only when qualified;

13. Ethics • A Code of Ethics • Provide professional opinion based on adequate knowledge derived from good science, thoughtful deliberation, and honest conviction; • Act as faithful agent, maintain confidentiality and avoid conflict of interest but, where potential arises, disclose circumstances expediently and fully;

14. Ethics • A Code of Ethics • Avoid professional practice while under influence of thought-impairing substance; • Maintain competence through continuing professional development;

15. Ethics • A Code of Ethics • Act with fairness, courtesy and good faith; give credit where due; and accept/give constructive, honest, and fair professional comment; • Communicate clearly the potential consequences if professional decisions or judgments are overruled or disregarded; and exercise honesty, objectivity and diligence.

16. Ethics • Academic Ethics • CU’s Honor Code“On my honor as a University of Colorado at Boulder student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.” • Honor Code

17. Ethics • Guide to ethical decision-making • State the problem • “There’s something about this decision that makes me uncomfortable.” • “Do I have a conflict of interest?” • Check the facts • perception of problem may change

18. Ethics • Guide to ethical decision-making • Identify relevant factors • persons and organizations involved • laws, professional codes • Develop list of options • who to go to, what to say • avoid “yes or no”

19. Ethics • Guide to ethical decision-making • Test options • harm test – does this option do less harm than alternatives • publicity test – would I want my choice of this option reported on the evening news? • defensibility test – could I defend this option before a committee of peers • reversibility test – would I think this option is good if I were adversely affected by it?

20. Ethics • Guide to ethical decision-making • Test options • colleague test – what do my colleagues say when I describe my problem and suggest this option as a solution? • professional test – what would my profession’s ethics committee say about this option? • organization test – what would my company’s ethics officer or legal counsel say about this?

21. Ethics • Guide to ethical decision-making • Choose one of the options • Review your decision • what can you do to make it less likely that you would have to make such a decision again?

22. Ethics • Ethical decision-making • state problem • check facts • identify relevant factors • develop list of options • test options • make choice • review decision