Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Ethical Engineering: Introduction

Description

This lecture introduces the course 'Becoming an Ethical Engineer' at EPFL, focusing on developing engineers' capacity to act ethically. The course is structured into three parts: Conceptual Base, Applications, and Synthesis. Assessment includes a portfolio and in-class assessment. The lecture emphasizes the importance of ethics education in engineering, providing examples and discussing the impact of gender on group work experiences.

Official source

Related concepts (28)

Engineering ethics

Engineering ethics is the field of system of moral principles that apply to the practice of engineering. The field examines and sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their clients, and to the profession. As a scholarly discipline, it is closely related to subjects such as the philosophy of science, the philosophy of engineering, and the ethics of technology. As engineering rose as a distinct profession during the 19th century, engineers saw themselves as either independent professional practitioners or technical employees of large enterprises.

Outline of ethics

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concern matters of value, and thus comprise the branch of philosophy called axiology. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to ethics.

Engineering

Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to solve problems, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve systems. Modern engineering comprises many subfields which include designing and creating infrastructure, machinery, vehicles, electronics, materials, and energy. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science, and types of application.

Medical ethics

Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics which analyzes the practice of clinical medicine and related scientific research. Medical ethics is based on a set of values that professionals can refer to in the case of any confusion or conflict. These values include the respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Such tenets may allow doctors, care providers, and families to create a treatment plan and work towards the same common goal.

Professional ethics

Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behavior expected of professionals. The word professionalism originally applied to vows of a religious order. By no later than the year 1675, the term had seen secular application and was applied to the three learned professions: divinity, law, and medicine. The term professionalism was also used for the military profession around this same time. Professionals and those working in acknowledged professions exercise specialist knowledge and skill.

Related lectures (35)

Ethics in Artificial Intelligence: Key Considerations

Discusses the ethical implications of artificial intelligence for engineers and its regulatory context.

Engineering Ethics Education: Methods and Effectiveness

Examines ethics education methods, effectiveness, and common case studies in engineering.

Ethics in Technology: Understanding AI Implications

Covers the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in technology, focusing on data, algorithms, design, sustainability, and accountability.

Ethics and Law of AI

Delves into ethics and law in AI, focusing on values, normative ambitions, and ethical challenges.

The Impact of Technological Advancements in 1999