T
he term “ethics” is defined by the
Webster’s New World Dictionary
as “the study of standards of con-
duct and moral judgment.” The
academic field of ethics is vast and ancient,
dating back to almost the dawn of civiliza-
tion. The issue of how individuals and soci-
eties should conduct themselves in their
day-to-day lives, for instance, preoccupied
the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.
The definition and pursuit of ideal models
for ethical or moral behaviour has been the
primary goal of religious leaders and secu-
lar philosophers throughout the ages. The
formal study of ethics involves formulating
and applying numerous philosophical mod-
els and theories in an attempt to understand
how humans can improve their individual
and collective behaviours to create a more
just and righteous society. Students of ethics
examine the concepts of justice, rights, duties
and care in a profound and comprehensive
manner that ultimately touches on the very
meaning of life. For professional engineers,
generally practical people, it is application
of the principles of ethics that is, or should
be, of paramount concern. For many of us
who practise in our profession, the question
is: To what extent should we be concerned
with how we conduct ourselves ethically as
professionals?
New urgency
It should be apparent that the need for a
more rigorous application of ethical prin-
ciples throughout society has taken on new
urgency in recent years, as major crises pre-
cipitated by unethical actions have rocked
our economy, our physical infrastructure
and our governments. It seems that every
day there are new media reports about scan-
dals in both the public and private sectors.
Although most everyone in our society
would agree, if questioned, that they expect
all members of society to uphold commonly
understood standards of good ethical behav-
iour, it is clear from the empirical evidence
that this is neither as common nor as easy
as should be the case.
While no profession or field of activity
can afford to be complacent about its ethi-