Notes
Index of Ethics for Engineers, a combination of writing and thoughts. The topics were parts of my study BMEGT41M004.
Key terms:
- Norms are the unwritten rules and expectations that govern behavior within a society or group. They are informal guidelines that define what is considered acceptable or typical behavior. Norms can vary between cultures, social groups, and contexts.
- Values are fundamental beliefs and principles that guide individual and collective behavior. They represent what a person or society considers important, meaningful, and desirable. Values form the core of how people make decisions and judge right from wrong.
- Morality is a system of principles concerning right and wrong behavior. It is a more structured framework of ethical standards that emerges from shared values and societal norms. Morality provides a deeper philosophical and ethical basis for judging actions as good or bad, right or wrong.
- Law is a formal system of rules created and enforced by governmental institutions. Laws are explicit, written regulations that define acceptable behavior and establish consequences for violations.
Duty Ethics (Deontological)
Rules-based ethics
- Divine Command Theory: Actions are morally right if they are in line with God’s commands.
- Kantian Ethics: Actions are morally right if they follow universal moral laws.
- Contractualism: Actions are morally right if they follow rules that everyone could agree to.
Consequentialist Ethics
Outcome-based ethics
- Act Utilitarianism: Actions are morally right if they maximize overall happiness.
- Rule Utilitarianism: Actions are morally right if they follow rules that maximize overall happiness.
Virtue Ethics
Character-based ethics
- Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics: Focuses on the development of good character traits.
Cognitive Bias
- Cognitive Bias: A systematic error in thinking that affects decisions and judgments through unconscious and automatic processes, often influenced by heuristics, social pressures, and emotions.