Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases [Paperback]

Jr. Charles E. Harris (Author), Michael S. Pritchard (Author), Michael J. Rabins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534605796 | ISBN-13: 978-0534605797 | Publication Date: July 7, 2004 | Edition: 3

This text bridges the gap between theory and practice in engineering ethics. The authors provide real-life cases, structured methodology for analyzing cases, and examples of cases that have been analyzed to give students a true understanding of what is involved in practicing ethical engineering. Codes of Ethics are also provided and discussed. This book helps engineering students to carry over their natural analytical talents into a new area: moral deliberation. It shows them the importance of being analytical, stressing the fact that many apparent moral disagreements are really disagreements over the facts or over the definitions of crucial terms, and that the locus of moral disagreement can only be discovered by analysis.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles E. Harris, Jr. received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and currently teaches at Texas A&M University. He has authored several articles and books on ethics, including APPLYING MORAL THEORIES (Wadsworth, 2002).

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 3 edition (July 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534605796
• ISBN-13: 978-0534605797
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #626,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This is a poor textbook., November 17, 2009

By 

O. King "nice guy" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases (Paperback)

I used this textbook to teach an introductory engineering ethics course. I am about to teach the course again, and I will not make the mistake of using this book for it.

The main problems with this book are the poor writing and its poor organization. The chapters seem like they were cobbled together from the lecture notes of several different people. The topic changes without any clear reason (and sometimes without warning). Ideas are introduced then forgotten. Theories are mentioned but then not given any systematic treatment. I certainly would have expected the exposition to be more refined by the fourth edition.

Here are some of the many general problems with this book:

- Some of the chapters are not thematically unified.

- Often remarks and even definitions are stated in imprecise terms.

- Some parts of the book read like a draft of a review of the scholarly literature, sometimes mentioning obscure (at least from the standpoint of an introductory text) articles and books.

- Sections lack clear focus and direction -- starting off on one topic, meandering to other topics, and never returning to the original topic.

- The index is poor and unreliable.

Here are some more specific problems:

The case studies at the end of book are not presented in any uniform manner. Sometimes they are short blurbs. Sometimes they provide in-depth analysis. Sometimes they are sketches of hypothetical scenarios. And in two cases the "case studies" are just brief descriptions of videos about engineering ethics. It's not really clear what the authors intend the battery of case studies to provide.

One particularly bad "case study" -- purportedly about the Hyatt Regency walkway disaster -- begins "Approximately 4 years after its occurrence, the tragic 1981 Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse was in the news again." And it goes on to describe a court ruling about the disaster. So, one might think that the original disaster was discussed somewhere else in the book. The index points you to page 28 where there is one short paragraph and a footnote. The footnote points you to a discussion that appears in the 3rd edition of this very same book (now in its 4th edition). No kidding.

Their section on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster is just as frustrating. The authors begin their analysis of the case without first clearly laying out the relationships between the parties involved. For instance, they do not provide a clear description of the relationship between Morton Thiokol and NASA; so the reader has to figure it out as she goes along. And they don't say which party employed the whistle-blower Roger Boisjoly. That's pretty inexcusable in the context of a chapter called "Engineers in Organizations."

Finally, even their treatment of basic normative ethical theory is poor. In chapter 1, in the section called "Three types of Ethics or Morality" they break down moral evaluation into three categories: "common morality", "personal morality", and "professional ethics". None of these includes what is typically the main strand of normative ethics: Substantive moral claims taken to have objective standing. Granted this main strand is not the only way to understand the nature of thinking about moral matters, but it is far too central, common, and traditional to ignore.

This textbook is frustrating both for students and for their teachers. Not recommended.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great ethics book - for more than engineers, March 31, 2002

By 

Russell E Smith (College Station, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases (Paperback)

This book is designed for engineers, but the book can apply to more than an engineer. I have taken an ethics course from two of the authors of this book. The cases presented in this book apply to real world situations(some altered slightly), not just some clearly fictional situations. There are many fundamental tools that help you determine the type of situation you are dealing with -- ex. moral, factual, conceptual. Afer the problem is determined there are tools to help you make decisions, such as creative middle ways. The author does not make you adhere to their ethics, but a general ethical standard. Overall, this book provides very good ways to determine and solve issues; case studies are also provided to give you an opportunity to "test" yourself.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lively as ethics can be, January 19, 2002

By 

Glenn C. Graber (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases (Paperback)

This book is readable and yet comprehensive. It covers the key issues in a way that engages the reader - usually starting with a case and illustrating key points throughout with reference to cases and other "real world" matters. The accompanying CD has lots of additional cases as well as codes and other reference material.