About Beyond Engineering Ethics: The Case for Biblical Ethics and Justice in Engineering
| Authors | Hsu, David D. |
|---|---|
| Date | 2022 |
| Proceedings | Proceedings of the 2022 Christian Engineering Conference |
| Place | University of Northwestern u2013 St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Vol / Pages | pp. 105-125 |
| URL | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zk6JxgxfFbPtrNm5pL_82KqepHiWG0Re/view |
Type: Conference Paper
Tags: Christian Engineering
Abstract
The outputs of engineering can often have systemic effects on society, both in deliberate and unintended ways. This poses a risk that the work of engineers may exacerbate societal inequities, but also presents an opportunity for engineering to be redemptive —to advance holistic and equitable human flourishing. Towards this end, it is essential that engineers be guided by principles which help them to recognize and address justice issues in their work. While ethical codes establish necessary professional moral standards which can relate to justice, codes alone do not fully attend to issues of justice. This is the case for several reasons. First, the adoption of ethical codes is not standardized for non-licensed engineers, which undermines elements of justice already present. Next, ethical codes do not curtail blindness to justice issues which are prevalent amongst engineers. Furthermore, ethical codes typically do not mention justice, partially because engineers often do not agree on the definition of justice or to what capacity it pertains to their professional responsibility. In this gap, biblical concepts of justice and righteousness provide an integrated, redemptive framework which addresses modern justice issues beyond ethical codes.