INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS

Ethics (or moral philosophy) involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong
behavior. The English word ethics is derived from an Ancient Greek word êthikos, which means "relating to one's
character"; itself derived from another Greek word, the noun êthos meaning "character, disposition"
 Meta-ethics – the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions, and how their truth values (if
any) can be determined
 Normative ethics – concerning the practical means of determining a moral course of action
 Applied ethics – what a person is obligated (or permitted) to do in a specific situation or a particular
domain of action

Morality (from the Latin moralis "manner, character, proper behavior"; from the Greek mos “custom”) is the
differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are distinguished as proper and those that
are improper. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular
philosophy, religion, or culture, or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal.

"Although the morality of people and their ethics amounts to the same thing, there is a usage that restricts morality
to systems such as that of Immanuel Kant, based on notions such as duty, obligation, and principles of conduct,
reserving ethics for the more Aristotelian approach to practical reasoning, based on the notion of a virtue, and
generally avoiding the separation of 'moral' considerations from other practical considerations."

Morals Ethics
response to a specific situation general principles set by group
social and cultural norms individual or legal and professional norms
principles of right and wrong right and wrong conduct
expressed in the form of general statements abstract

Values may be regarded as higher order norms (HM Johnson). Values are cultural products as standards which
men living in society win as prizes as having high importance. Laws cannot change social values.

Norms are informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society. They provide an expected
idea of how to behave in a particular social group or culture. Norms are developed from the same situation where
from values have sprung: “the conceptions of the good which influence selection from available ends, means, and
modes of actions.”

Divine Law is any law that comes directly from the "will of God", in contrast to man-made law; they may change in
human perception in time through new revelation, however, divine laws are eternal and constant, not subject to
change. Divine laws are contained in sacred religious texts such as the Torah, the Holy Bible, and Quran.
Divine law is mainly and mostly natural law, but it can also be positive law.

Natural Law is a philosophy that certain rights are inherent by virtue of human nature and can be understood
universally through human reason. Historically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature to
deduce binding rules of moral behavior.

ChE 527: ChE Law, Contracts, Specifications and Ethics

Engr. MMM Boado
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

I: Obedience/Punishment Infancy No difference between doing the right thing and avoiding
punishment
I: Self-Interest Pre-school Interest shifts to rewards rather than punishment –
effort is made to secure greatest benefit for oneself
II: Conformity and Interpersonal School-age The “good boy/girl” level. Effort is made to secure
Accord approval and maintain friendly relations with others.
II: Authority and Social Order School-age Orientation toward fixed rules. The purpose of morality
is maintaining the social order. Interpersonal accord is
expanded to include the entire society
III: Social Contract Teens Mutual benefit, reciprocity. Morally right and legally
right are not always the same. Utilitarian rules that make
life better for everyone
III: Universal Principles Adulthood Morality is based on principles that transcend mutual
benefit.

Six Pillars of Character

Josephson, M. "Making Ethical Decisions", The Josephson Institute of Ethics, 1993.
 Trustworthiness: quality of dependability and includes honesty integrity, loyalty, and promise-keeping.
 Respect: treating others (superiors, subordinates, clients, contractors) in a manner to enhance their dignity.
 Responsibility: comprises accountability, pursuit of excellence and self-restraint.
 Justice and Fairness: be objective and impartial, do what is right, pursuit of excellence
 Caring: when ethical decisions are made, the impact to all concerned should be minimized.
 Civic Virtue (accepting appointments, give time and money to social causes) and Citizenship: obligation to
community which extends beyond self-interest.

Professional Ethics
Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, IIT, Vol 13(2), p. 1, February 1994
"While students come to college knowing a good deal about ordinary morality, they generally do not come
to college knowing much about the ethics of their profession. (Because) Professional ethics differs from profession
to profession and cannot be deduced from ordinary morality or philosophical theory…and while we can assume
our students have a pretty good understanding of morality and want to behave decently, we cannot assume that
they know, for example, whether to put their client's welfare (or their employer's welfare) or the public welfare
first.”

For engineers, the public’s welfare has priority.

CASE STUDIES
 1919 Great Molasses Flood in Boston, Massachusetts
 1921 Silo explosion (ammonium nitrate) in Oppau, Germany
 1932 – 1968 Mercury dumping in Minamata Bay, Japan
 1976 Dioxin emission in Seveso, Italy
 1984 Methyl isocyanate emission in Bhopal, India
 1986 Nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl, Ukraine
 2000 Cyanide spill in Baia Mare, Romania
 2008 Sugar refinery explosion in Georgia, US
 2010 Alumina plant accident in Hungary
 2014 Gas explosions in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
 2015 Nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan

ChE 527: ChE Law, Contracts, Specifications and Ethics

Engr. MMM Boado
ChE CODE OF ETHICS
http://www.geocities.ws/piche_nat/codeofethics.html; 6/7/2012

Section 1. The chemical engineer shall be guided in all his relations by the highest standards of honor and
integrity and shall act with fairness and impartiality to all.

Section 2. The chemical engineer shall uphold at all times the dignity of the chemical engineering profession
and shall protect it from misrepresentation.

Section 3. The chemical engineer shall avoid being associated with any enterprise which is of questionable
character or is contrary to law or public welfare.

Section 4. The chemical engineer shall express a professional opinion only when he is adequately informed of
the facts related thereto and the purposes for which the opinion is asked.

Section 5. The chemical engineer shall not issue statements, criticism or arguments on matters of public
concern which are inspired or paid for by private interests, unless he indicates in whose behalf he is making the
statement.

Section 6. The chemical engineer shall not indulge in self-laudatory advertisement nor make exaggerated,
untrue, or misleading statements in media or any public forum.

Section 7. The chemical engineer shall be mindful of the safety and convenience of the public at all times and
shall make every effort to remedy or bring to the attention of his client or employer any dangerous defect in
equipment or structures or dangerous conditions of operation which come to his knowledge.

Section 8. The chemical engineer shall consider it his professional obligation to protect the interest of his
client, employer or any person of responsibility and he shall act accordingly as long as it does not conflict with law,
public policy, and welfare.

Section 9. The chemical engineer shall make known to his client or employer all his other professional
obligations, financial interests, or other considerations which might restrict or interfere with his meeting the
legitimate expectations of his client or employer before undertaking an engagement.

Section 10. The chemical engineer shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise form more than one
client or employer who is in the same line of business or has conflicting interest with the others, without the
consent of all parties; he shall not accept compensation directly or indirectly from parties dealing with his client or
employer except with the consent of his client or employer.

Section 11. The chemical engineer shall present clearly the consequences or risk that will arise if his
professional judgement or work, for which he is responsible, is overruled.

Section 12. The chemical engineer shall not hesitate to engage, or advise his client or employer to engage the
services of other experts or specialists on problems on which his information or experience is inadequate.

Section 13. The chemical engineer shall regard as the property of his client or employer any plan, design, or
other record which results from the use of information which is not common knowledge or public property, but
which information is obtained from his client or employer.

Section 14. The chemical engineer shall exchange general information and experience with his fellow chemical
engineers, contribute to the work of engineering societies and schools, and cooperate in such other endeavors as
will enhance the effectiveness of the chemical engineering profession.

Section 15. The chemical engineer shall encourage and provide opportunity for the professional development
or advancement of chemical engineers in his employ.
ChE 527: ChE Law, Contracts, Specifications and Ethics
Engr. MMM Boado
Section 16. The chemical engineer shall recognize the view that inadequate compensation for professional
services ten toward inferior and unreliable work and shall not accept compensation beneath the generally
accepted level of professional fee.

Section 17. The chemical engineer shall not compete with another engineer unfairly, such as reducing his usual
professional charges for work after having been informed of the charges asked by others.

Section 18. The chemical engineer shall not injure or attempt to injure falsely or maliciously, directly or
indirectly, the professional reputation, competence, capability, prospects, or practice of another professional.

Section 19. The chemical engineer shall endeavor at all times to give credit to those to whom credit is properly
due.

Section 20. The chemical engineer shall not review the work of another chemical engineer for the same client
or employer without the prior knowledge and consent of such engineer when the client or employer relation of
such chemical engineer has already been terminated, prior notice is sufficient.

Section 21. The chemical engineer shall report any infraction of any rules of professional conduct to the
Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (PICHE) for proper appraisal and shall be ready to testify, if necessary.

Section 22. This Code shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette.

AIChE Code of Ethics (1995)

Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers shall uphold and advance the integrity, honor and
dignity of the engineering profession by:
Being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity their employers, their clients, and the public;
Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession;
Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare.

To achieve these goals, members shall:

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their
professional duties.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall
avoid conflicts of interest.
5. Engineers shall build their professional reputations on the merits of their services.
6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to up hold, enhance the honor, integrity and dignity of the engineering
profession.
7. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers, and shall provide for the
professional development of those engineers under their supervision.

ChE 527: ChE Law, Contracts, Specifications and Ethics

Engr. MMM Boado