Ethics for Engineers

Ethics for Engineers:

Moral issues in scientific work

Anne Finger, Gunnar Jeremias

3-days seminar (“Blockseminar”), 2 SWS, 2 ECTS

Date:

Wednesday, May 2, 17:00 – 21:00, Room H0.01

Friday, June 8, 10:00 – 13:00, Room H 0.01, 15:00-20:00, Room D 0.011

Saturday, June 9, 10:00 - 19:00, Room 1.023

Registration: March 27 -April 23 via Stud.IP

Contact: Humanities Department, SBS 95 E, room 1.011/ 1.026, humanities@tu-harburg.de

Scientists increasingly need to acknowledge the social dimension of their work. In order to take responsibility for the political, economic, environmental and security consequences of scientific work, engineers and scientists need ethical guidelines. The seminar will address this dimension of scientific work. It will be an opportunity to discover ethics as a means to act effectively, efficiently and responsibly as an engineer and a scientist.

The goals of the seminar include:

• Raising awareness about ethical dilemmas in scientific decision-making;

• Increasing knowledge about the dual-use character of the natural sciences;

• and Improving the understanding of scientists’ responsibility for the results of

  their professional activities.

Topics to be addressed include the role of engineers and scientists in:

• Making decisions about the distribution of rare goods;

• Preventing the misuse of technologies for hostile purposes;

• Choosing arguments and defending positions in situations of conflicting

  interests;

• Taking decisions at the national and international level about laws, rules and

  regulations concerning scientific conduct; and

• The development of codes of conduct as a guideline for responsible

  behaviour.

The seminar will demonstrate ethical problems in the natural sciences and engineering by looking at current problems from areas such as medicine, the life sciences and physics. Issues will include organ donation, the future of energy and the dual use problem in biological research. Seminar participants will also get an opportunity to discuss the careers of famous scientists as examples of ethical and non-ethical behaviour.

Issues will be introduced by a short presentation and a Q & A session, followed by group work on selected problems. All participants will have to prepare a presentation. Those requiring a graded certificate additionally have to write a 3-4 page paper on selected issues. The seminar will use interactive tools of teaching such as role playing, simulations and presentations by students. Group work and active participation is expected at all stages.

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