The application of ethics to engineering and the engineer's moral responsibility: Perspectives for a research agenda

There are different possibilities for defining the areas for the applicatio n of ethics to engineering. They range from descriptive analysis of enginee rs' relationship to moral criteria and extend to normative issues on how en gineers should design more "sustainable" technology. In this paper, a frame of reference is proposed, which makes it possible to elaborate in a transp arent manner goals for analysis of the scope of ethics in engineering. Its point of departure is marked by two questions: 1) which types of situation in the practice of engineering require ethical reflection? and 2) to what e xtent are engineers expected to assume moral responsibility in the practice of their profession? The answers to both of these questions presuppose ref lection on the societal processes of setting definitions and of making ascr iptions. Understanding these Processes of societal "construction" of demand s for ethical reflection in engineering and of engineers' moral responsibil ities should be an important objective of the analysis of ethics in enginee ring.