Pillars of Engineering Ethics

Industries and technologies are so developed that the decisions made by an engineer can directly affect the daily affairs of people. As jobs are becoming more and more professional, it is a mark of professionalism for an engineer to observe ethical codes and to make decisions on the basis of engineering ethics. Engineers usually work together in groups or with other engineers affiliated to other organizations or companies. As a result, they are required to observe a series of ethical and organizational codes and rules. People have different professional and organizational ethical commitments. Consequently, certain identical codes and rules in a given field may have different professional and organizational effects and outcomes in different societies. In other words, engineers have identical models of performance, yet depending on their manner of thinking and the extent of their commitments to the values and ethical basics, their performances are different, and differences in ethical principles and basics affect their professional and organizational performances. The impact of an engineer’s ideological, social and organizational beliefs on his/her performance is undeniable. In addition to professional and organizational ethics, ethical basics that have their roots in religion, philosophy, native culture, traditions, family and nationality, directly influence the engineering ethics and are regarded as its pillars.