Question

ENMA 480: ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

Cigarettes   kill   more   than   400,000   Americans   each   year,   which   is   more   than   the   combined   deaths   caused  
by   alcohol   and   drug   abuse,   car   accidents,   homicide,   suicide,   and   acquired   immunodeficiency   syndrome  
(AIDS).   Cigarette   companies   do   much   good   by   providing   jobs   (Philip   Morris   employs   more   than   150,000  
people   worldwide),   through   taxes   (more   than   $4   billion   paid   by   Philip   Morris   in   a   typical   year),   and  
through   philanthropy.   Most   new   users   of   cigarettes   in   the   United   States   are   teenagers   (younger   than  
eighteen   years   of   age).   There   is   disagreement   over   just   how   addictive   cigarettes   are,   but   adults   have  
some   choice   in   deciding   whether   to   continue   using   cigarettes,   and   they   may   choose   to   continue   using   for  
reasons   beyond   the   addictive   potential   of   nicotine.  
Can   utilitarianism   provide   a   moral   justification   for   engineers   who   work   for   tobacco   companies,   for  
example,   in   designing   cigarette- making   machinery?   In   your   answer   take   account   of   the   following   facts  
(and   others   you   may   be   aware   of).
(Roger   Roseblatt,   “How   Do   Tobacco   Executives   Live   with   Themselves?”   New   York   Times   Magazine,   March   20,   1994,   34–41,   55)

Answer 1

Yes, Utilitarianism can provide a moral justification for engineers who work fortobacco companies because the concept of utilitarianism is the maximizing ofhappiness and minimization of suffering. Compared to the negative effects, tobacco companies bring more positive effects in overall. For example,tobacco companies provide job opportunities to people and pay good amountof taxes. The other benefit is the happiness and satisfaction that tobaccocompanies bring to the users. Although negative effects exist, the engineers arenot to be blamed because it is the users who chose to smoke tobacco. Inconclusion, engineers who work for tobacco companies is morally justified byutilitarianism.p. 667.The Golden Rule implies that engineers and corporations should ensure thequality and safety of their products are as good towards the customers astowards themselves. It also implies that engineers and corporations should notimpose any threat towards customers through their product just like how theydon’t want any threat towards themselves. I think that crash-test informationshould be made available to customers concerning the possibly harmful sideeffects of a particular automobile because users including the engineersthemselves will definitely be concerned of the quality or safety of the productsthey use. Therefore, the other users except the engineers and corporationsdeserve to know the information regarding their product. It does not matterwhether the negative or positive version of the Golden Rule is used. Eitherversion provides an answer that everyone might find morally reasonable.

- When putting on a scale the tobacco industry, which is already heavily regulated and taxed, by a utilitarian view it does more good than harm to society. This can be explained by the continuity of their business. If this wasn't the case they would be out of business or in jeopardy.

This equation can change but it's not in the hands of the engineers. More regulation will be imposed but the product continues to be attractive to the public.