Abstract
Why should engineers behave ethically? Often, this question is answered by qualifying engineering as a “profession”, and professional organizations have codes of ethics that members should comply with. In many countries however, engineering is organized differently. The present chapter explores conceptions of “professionalism”, inspired by evolutions in different occupational areas. A second part questions the idea that professionalism encompasses ethical responsibilities “beyond ordinary morality”. The thesis will be defended that, although there may be specific rules for “professionals”, the philosophical foundation of professional ethics yet rests on ordinary morality.
It definitely was professional, and it was definitely smart, if you can call it that, but it was very conservative, very risk-averse, very aware of what mattered.
(Lance Armstrong, Interview with Oprah Winfrey, January 2013)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Armstrong, L. (2013). Interview with Oprah Winfrey. Transcript on http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/21065539
Boucher, F. (2007). Le problème de la moralité de rôle en éthique professionnelle. http://www.intranet.idea.ulaval.ca/Documents/FB-role%20EP.rtf. Consulted 18 Aug 2012.
Briggle, A., & Mitcham, C. (2012). Ethics and science. An introduction. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Burns, E. (2007). Developing a post-professional perspective for studying contemporary professions and organisations. Proceedings conference on critical management studies,University of Manchester, July 2007. http://www.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/ejrot/cmsconference/2007/proceedings/newperspectives/burns.pdf
Colby, A., & Sullivan, W. M. (2008). Formation of professionalism and purpose: Perspectives from the preparation for the professions program. University of St. Thomas Law Journal, 5(2), 404–427.
Dannoritzer, C. (2010). The light bulb conspiracy. Documentary available at: http://dotsub.com/view/aed3b8b2-1889-4df5-ae63-ad85f5572f27
Davis, M. (2015). Chapter 4: Engineering as profession: Some methodological problems in its study. In S. H. Christensen, C. Didier, A. Jamison, M. Meganck, C. Mitcham, & B. Newberry (Eds.), Engineering identities, epistemologies and values. Engineering education and practice in context. Springer.
Didier, C. (2015). Engineering ethics: European perspectives. In J. Britt Holbrook and Carl Mitcham (Eds.), Ethics, science, technology, and engineering: A global resource (Vol. 2, pp. 87–90). Farmington Hills: Macmillan Reference USA.
Driessens, K., & Geldof, D. (2008). Normatieve professionaliteit in het sociaal werk. Alert, 34(2), 66–75.
Erde, E. L. (2008). Professionalism’s facets: Ambiguity, ambivalence, and nostalgia. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 33, 6–26.
Evetts, J. (2003). The sociological analysis of professionalism: Occupational change in the modern world. International Sociology, 18(2), 395–415.
Greenwood, E. (1957). Attributes of a profession. Social Work, July 1957, 45–55. Reprinted in: Johnson, D. G. (1991). Ethical issues in engineering (pp. 67–77). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Herbert, I., Lambert, S., & Rothwell, A. (2012). Professionalism in the 21st century: Symbol or substance? Financial management, April, 54–55
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Code of ethics. http://www.ieee.org/about/ethics.html. Accessed Mar 2015.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Mission and vision statement. http://www.ieee.org/about/vision_mission.html. Accessed Mar 2015.
Jamison, A., Christensen, S. H., & Botin, L. (2011). A hybrid imagination. Science and technology in cultural perspective (Synthesis lectures on engineers, technology, and society, Vol. 12). San Rafael: Morgan & Claypool Publishers.
Kunneman, H. (2007). Sociaal werk als laboratorium voor normatieve professionalisering. Ethische Perspectieven, 17(2), 92–107.
Levinas, E. (1982). Éthique et infini. Paris: Fayard.
Mitcham, C. (2009). A philosophical inadequacy of engineering. The Monist, 92(3), 339–356.
Noordegraaf, M. (2007). From “pure” to “hybrid” professionalism. Present-day professionalism in ambiguous public domains. Administration and Society, 39(6), 761–785.
Rescher, N. (1987). Forbidden knowledge: Moral limits of scientific research, as quoted in: Oger, E. Hoeveel waardevrijheid? In: P. Reynaert (Ed.). Wetenschap en Waardevrijheid (p. 35). Leuven: Garant, 1993.
Ross, A., & Athanassoulis, N. (2010). The social nature of engineering and its implications for risk taking. Science and Engineering Ethics, 16, 147–168.
Sammons, J. L. (1993). Rebellious ethics and Albert Speer. (Reprinted as: Albert Speer: ethics, architecture and technology). In: E. Katz (2006). Death by design: Science, technology and engineering in Nazi Germany (pp. 179–200). New York: Pearson Education.
Schön, D. (2001). The crisis of professional knowledge and the pursuit of an epistemology of practice. In: J. Raven, & J. Stephenson (Eds.). Competence in the learning society (pp. 185–207). New York: Peter Lang Publishing. http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/
Stapel, M. (2013). Beroepsethos versus patiëntenautonomie binnen de plastisch-esthetische chirurgie. Filosofie en Praktijk, 34(2), 25–40.
Tredgold, T. (1828). Description of a civil engineer. Minutes of the Proceedings of the institution of civil engineers, Vol. 2 (1827–1835), January 4, pp. 20–23, as quoted in Briggle & Mitcham (2012), p. 294.
Wendel, B. (2005). Professionalism as interpretation. Northwestern University Law Review, 99, 1167–1233.
Wilensky, H. L. (1964). The professionalization of everyone? American Journal of Sociology, 70, 137–158.
Acknowledgments
I express my gratitude to Christelle Didier, for her critical and constructive comments on a first draft for this chapter, and to Dr. Erik Van Achter, for his linguistic polishing of the text.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Meganck, M. (2015). On the Normativity of Professionalism. In: Christensen, S., Didier, C., Jamison, A., Meganck, M., Mitcham, C., Newberry, B. (eds) Engineering Identities, Epistemologies and Values. Philosophy of Engineering and Technology, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16172-3_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16172-3_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16171-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16172-3
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawPhilosophy and Religion (R0)