Arguments Against the Personal Responsibility of Engineers

A third argument concerned with institutions is that of individual ignorance. J claimed such ignorance, I did not know. It was not for someone in my position to know , and we will return to MacIntyre s analysis in the next section. However, the argument specifically with regard to engineering is that engineering projects 

Professional Engineers work to enhance the welfare, health and safety of all whilst paying due regard to the environment and the sustainability of resources. They have made personal and professional commitments to enhance the wellbeing of society through the exploitation of knowledge and the management of creative teams [9]. 

It is through working together, by collaborative management of creative teams, that engineers can best find expression of responsibility and the systematic extension of their practice. 

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If J had enjoyed the benefit of Davis s knowledge of the professional ethics literature, he could have suggested a more comprehensive list of why he had not failed his responsibilities. However, this would not have much helped his defence, especially if he was an engineer. The comments on the seven arguments against the personal responsibility of engineers have shown that each of the arguments is flawed in a serious manner. This was also Davis s conclusion. 

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