Question

If you were to explain why software engineering teams have different ethical responsibilities than other computing professionals – what would you argue? Explain why or why not you agree with this statement. (2.5 points)

Answer 1

At about the same time (1980s) and for many of the same reasons, engineering ethics and computer ethics emerged as academic fields in the United States. Practitioners in these areas became progressively conscious of their work's social and ethical consequences and philosophers started to see these areas as fertile ground for applied ethics scrutiny. Despite these comparable roots, such as twins separated at birth, in radically distinct settings engineering ethics and computer ethics have been "raised" and thus evolved with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Despite the predominant role of computing in engineering procedures and products, the significant absence of emphasis on computing ethics in engineering ethics schooling is indicative of the degree of this separation.

The power of engineering ethics lies in its powerful professionalism and engineering practice. Computer ethics, on the other hand, like computer science, sometimes lacks the professional identity and sense of the practical necessities for a thorough understanding of computing ethical issues. On the other side, the focus on private and professional engineering ethics has led in an obvious reluctance to take the wider social obligations of the engineering profession and technology policy issues in particular very seriously, problems that most computer ethics treatments consider to be essential to the field.

Therefore, there is a need for severe and continuous dialog on education and research in their areas between engineering ethicists and computer ethicists. Although there are important variations in the areas, a number of mechanisms and models already exist to facilitate such an interchange. For instance: ABET, the organisation that accredits engineering programs, has recently combined the accreditation of computer science programs in the USA.

Recently, IEEE and ACM have worked together to develop a code of ethics for software engineers.Online resources have become a topic of growing interest in engineering as well as in computer ethics. Organizations such as the Association of Practical and Professional Ethics are well placed to promote engineering and computer ethics interchanges. Professional engineering societies and computer researchers are able to hold joint social and ethical conferences relevant to both areas.

While engineering ethics and computing ethics were not really born twins— the differences in their analytical views having existed from each other's origins— the metaphor of birth-separated twins is nevertheless suitable as there is sufficient commonality in their roots and present status to enable mutual learning for both. Indeed, there is a lengthy overdue (re)union of the two.