Engineering Ethics

(Note: Students are required to have the ability of reading, writing and communicating in Japanese.)
In this course, students will consider the meaning and significance of “becoming an engineer” to understand that engineers have the social and ethical responsibility to support society, that is, to take care of people's lives. Upon completing this course, students will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfill such responsibility as a professional engineer.

Today’s engineers have the responsibility to support society. It is an ethical responsibility to take charge of the lives of the people of society (the public). As engineers are professionals, they cannot avoid such responsibility. Therefore, engineers are required to establish an attitude to actively take on such responsibilities. In this course, students will deepen their understanding that they should actively assume such social and ethical responsibilities through consideration of the meaning and significance of “becoming an engineer.” To fulfill the responsibilities assigned to them well, engineers are required to make ethical judgments based on the important values emphasized in their engineering activities to “design their conducts.” Students will learn and acquire what is necessary for making ethically proper decisions as “skills to design own conducts as a professional engineer”.

Japanese

In each class, students are required to conduct a group discussion, which will be summarized on a Discussion Sheet to be submitted at the end of each class. After each class, students are required to answer to a Mini Quiz to assess their understanding of each class. Both assignments are essay-based.
Note that the objective of this course is not to merely understand the course content in terms of knowledge but to deepen students' consideration. Therefore, the evaluation will be based on how deep students can consider about the course content. Consequently, the evaluation criteria are whether or not students have written a substantial argument. If a student is able to write sufficiently about his/her own ideas based on the course contents, both in terms of quality and quantity, he/she can expect to receive a grade of 60 or higher.
Also note that no credits will be given for those who attend classes less than 2/3.

Textbook:
Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, ed.: Science and Engineering Ethics For Grasping the True Nature of Matter and Designing Your Conduct, Hakuto-shobo Publishing Co., 2017. (in Japanese)

Reference:
Michael Davis: Ethics and the University, Routledge, 1999.
Caroline Whitbeck: Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research, Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Web:
Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science https://onlineethics.org/

- Read articles about engineering ethics on the media and on SNS to be up-to-date with such topics.
- Prepare devices such as laptop PCs to be able to connect the Internet (to be accessible to ScombZ). Using smartphones only is not recommended.

• (Omiya Campus) Before and after the class or at office (4508-3 in Bldg. 4).
  (Toyosu Campus) Before and after the class (Lecturer Room is 04M31 in Rsch. Bldg.)

Non-regionally-oriented course

• Course that cultivates an ability for utilizing knowledge
• Course that cultivates a basic interpersonal skills
• Course that cultivates a basic self-management skills
• Course that cultivates a basic problem-solving skills

About half of the classes are interactive

• 1.NO POVERTY
• 2.ZERO HUNGER
• 3.GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
• 4.QUALITY EDUCATION
• 5.GENDER EQUALITY
• 6.CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
• 7.AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
• 8.DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
• 9.INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
• 10.REDUCED INEQUALITIES
• 11.SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
• 12.RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION
• 13.CLIMATE ACTION
• 14.LIFE BELOW WATER
• 15.LIFE ON LAND
• 16.PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
• 17.PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS