BME FTT

Objectives

The aim of the course is to prepare the attendants to understand and address with responsibility the ethical problems and conflicts arising during the various roles and duties an engineer must engage. The subject 

• Provides an overview of the different aspects of ethical decision making. 
• Introduces the ethical theories applicable during decision making.
• Discusses the methodology of rational decision making.
• Calls attention to the psychological factors distorting decision making and blocking morally acceptable decisions.
• Analyses certain typical problems arising in the field of engineering and discusses the proper approach to solving them.

The course provides practical skills and forms attitudes that are indispensable for handling the technical, economic and ethical aspects of decision making together. Ethical considerations are not independent from tehcnico-economic considerations since the latter general have consequences for the former.

Topics

• General Ethics I. – Metaethics – discussing ethical principles.
• General Ethics II. – Descriptive ethics – understanding different ethical perspectives.
• General Ethics III. – Introduction to normative ethical theories - critical discussion of ethical systems.
• Normative Ethics I. – Deontic Ethics and Contractualism
• Normative Ethics II. – Virtue Ethics
• Normative Ethics III. – Consequentialism
• Principles of Rational and Ethical decision making
• Ethical Decision making for engineers – Errors and responsibility in engineering
• Ethical Decision making for engineers – Ethical group decisions in engineering
• Ethical Decision making for engineers – Leadership and responsibility in engineering
• Ethical Decision making for engineers – Legal and Social context of the responsibility of decision making for engineers.

Methodology of teaching

Lectures.

Materials supporting learning

• PPT-slides on Moodle website
• Arpaly, Nomy (2002). Unprincipled Virtue: An Inquiry Into Moral Agency – Chapter 3. Oxford University Press.
• Arpaly, Nomy & Schroeder, Timothy (2013). In Praise of Desire – Chapter 8-9. Oxford University Press.
• Audi, Robert, 2009, “Moral Virtue and Reasons for Action”, Philosophical Issues, 19: 1–20.
• Bratman, Michael. "Intention and Means-End Reasoning." The Philosophical Review 90, no. 2 (April 1981): 252-265.
• Bratman, Michael. "Taking Plans Seriously." Social Theory and Practice 9, nos. 2-3 (Summer-Fall 1983): 271-287.
• Doris, J. (1998). Persons, situations, and virtue ethics. Nous 32, 504-530.
• Doris, J. (2002). Lack of character: Personality and moral behaviour – Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Levy, Neil (2011). Hard Luck: How Luck Undermines Free Will and Moral Responsibility – Chapter 8. Oxford University Press UK.
• Levy, Neil (2014). Consciousness and Moral Responsibility – Chapter 5-6. Oxford University Press.
• Merritt, M. (2000). Virtue ethics and situationist personality psychology. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 3, 365-383.
• Miller, C. (2013). Moral character: An empirical theory – Chapter 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Miller, C. (2014). Character and Moral Psychology – Chapter 1-2. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Ridge, Michael. "Humean Intentions." American Philosophical Quarterly 35, no. 2 (April 1998): 157-178.
• Upton, C. (2009). The structure of character. Journal of Ethics 13, 175-193.

The slides and notes, as well as the current dates are always avaialble in moodle: edu.gtk.bme.hu