Why Engineers raise a "WHY NOT" question?

ABSTRACT

In our previous article, “User Experience is a WHYOLOGIST,” we discuss the term User Experience and Science of WHY and HOW it’s essential to raise the question. However, WHY can be a Philosophical or Psychologist question, and what is the relation between Whyology, Psychology, Philosophy, and User Experience? This article spells out the principles of engineering practice and the knowledge of “WHY NOT” that has come to light through more than a decade of research by the author and his students studying engineers at work. Until now, this knowledge has been almost entirely unwritten, passed on invisibly from one generation of engineers to the next, what engineers refer to as “experience.” This article is for all engineers and engineering managers. Also, for Managers, Employers, Customers, and Society to set their responsibilities against an engineer. It distills the knowledge of many experts in one volume. In this article, Deontology for engineers will be discussed.

Key Words: Oath of Hippocrates, Deontology, Ethics, Moral Laws, Philosophical Ethics, Religious Ethics, Duties, Responsibilities, Engineer, Engineering

DEONTOLOG AND ETHICA

Deontological ethics or Deontology is composed of deon+onto+logos in Greek- δ?ον, deon, "obligation, duty"; and -λογ?α, -logia. Deon+onto means “need to be,” or Deon+onto means “as what should be,” and logos means “science.” Deontology is a science dealing with “tasks which should be undertaken.” Deontology is a branch of science studying “the duties need to be carried out.”

Another definition of Deontology is that it is a moral science that studies moral responsivities’, true practice, and true behavior or right action and right behavior.

The oldest form of scientific Deontology is Medical Deontology, which deals with the duties and responsibilities of the physicians against their patients, colleagues, and society, the proper ways of behaviors and rules about these interactions.

Ethics - ēthikós (?θικ??)- means moral philosophy or ethics philosophy and moral science or science of ethics. “Ethica,” a Greek word for “habit” or “tradition.” Another definition of ethics is that it is a collection of moral principles and values governing a special culture or group. It is the philosophical branch which investigates the features and bases of values constituting the basis of interpersonal relationships in moral regards as being good or evil, or true or false. The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises the branch of philosophy called axiology.

The Arabic-Turkish word “ahlak,” “?????” or “???? ??????” (ethics) is the plural form of “hulk,” “???” which means character, ability, talent, habit, specialty, faculty, and skill found in the human soul. Such behavior or habit may lead to a positive or negative consequence. Therefore, moral habits or skills can be divided into good or evil. Good morals or good habits arise from good skills or habits, whereas their evil counterparts are caused by evil skills and habits. For example, good manners, decorum, decency, humility, and generosities are good skills or habits. Still, bad manners, impertinence, debauchery, pride, addiction to forbidden things, alcoholism, conceit or pride, and greediness are examples of evil morals.

OATH OF HIPPOCRATES

“I SWEAR” by Apollo the physician, Aesculapius, Hygiea (goddess of health), Panakeia, and all the gods and goddesses, to fulfill my words below and request testimonies of all gods and goddesses that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath. I will love my medical instructor as much as my mother and father, spare my goods with him, and if necessary, I will cover his needs. I will treat the children of my instructor as my brothers, and if they request, I will teach medicine without any compensation or fee.

I will not teach the rules, oral lessons, and all other details of my education to anyone but to my children, children of my instructor, and students who swore Oath on medical laws. I will devote all my power and care for curing my patients. I will avoid all kinds of evil and injustice. I will not give poison to anyone even they ask me so or suggest anyone such a thing. I will not give any medicine and tools to any women to abort their children. I will live my life in honor and innocence, and I will apply my occupation that way. I will enter every house only for curing the patients. I will avoid every evil of destructive and inattentive nature. Especially, I will not cheat women and children, whether they are free or not. During my inspections, if I hear or see something which does not need to be revealed, I will not reveal them. In such situations, I will keep my mouth shut.

Shall I be always respected by people among whom I spend my life and occupation if I can fulfill this Oath without spoiling?

           “If I spoil this oath and be unsuccessful, shall everything happen vice versa.”

The graduates from medical faculties and schools and pharmacy swear an oath similar in the one abovementioned Hippocrates oath, although there are some differences. There are laws in every country about medical Deontology. Also, graduates from engineering faculties swear a promise about their professions.

THE SOURCE OF THE CODES OF ETHICS or THE SOURCE OF MORAL LAWS

The philosophy discipline dealing with moral values is called ethical philosophy and ethics. It is a sub-discipline examining and explaining the habits and attitudes which form ethical morals in terms of philosophy. It studies ethical human behaviors. Ethics is formed by the answers given to the questions below:

• Which rules must people obey in order to do good and nice deeds?
• What are the source and basis of these rules?

The answers to these two questions might be divided into two groups:

The answers given to these two questions are grouped into two sections:

A: The answers of the religion: Religious Ethics

B: The answers to the philosophy: Philosophical Ethics

PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS

Ethics, as discussed earlier, means moral philosophy or ethics philosophy and moral science or science of ethics. “Ethica,” a Greek word for “habit” or “tradition.” Another definition of ethics is that it is a collection of moral principles and values governing a special culture or group. It is the philosophical branch which investigates the features and bases of values constituting the basis of interpersonal relationships in moral regards as being good or evil, or true or false.

In philosophical ethics, the answers of a) what is a good life for human beings and b) how humans must live are searched; also, explanations and recommendations for these answers are provided.

Therefore, these explanations and recommendations constitute the basis of philosophical ethics. Socrates is the first known theoretician for morals. He stated that virtue or merit is identical to knowledge. Being moral and virtuous depend on knowledge. According to Socrates, “every virtue is knowledge,” and the contents of this knowledge is good as well. He did not explain what is good and true, but he did say that “the good is born from knowledge or based on it.” According to Socrates, “good” makes humans happy, gives health to the soul. There is a bond between virtue and happiness. Virtue based on knowledge leads to happiness.

There are considerable ethical concerns on the basis of Socrates’ beliefs. Socrates treated ethics in a speculative way by saying, “a life without questioning is unworthy of living.” He taught humans a way of questioning, not the way how to live. Platon, the apprentice of Socrates, stated that “it is possible to reach true knowledge by knowing the general or the whole present in all parts, not the real parts.” According to Platon, the “good” can only be known in this manner. In other words, the real issue is to comprehend the idea of general goodness shared by every part of the “good.”

RELIGIOUS ETHICS

Religions are ethical systems suggesting what is good or evil (forbidden or sin) to preserve the personality, future, and happiness of human beings. The aforementioned definition of morals shows that good deeds can only be gained through time, will, and endeavor. If one considers that “etikos”, the origin of the word “ethics,” means tradition and habits, while the meaning of morals originates from the word “hulk” (habits), qualities and habits constituting good morals can be gained with endeavor and care, whereas there are surely some habits coming from the birth.

Buddhism, originating in India, prohibited adultery, theft, murder, lying, and being drunk and wanted humans to avoid gossips, abuse, garrulousness, envy, and hatred as well.

Confucius, a famous philosopher, living in 6th century B.C. in China, said “a complete harmony in a social framework can be provided if human improves and fortifies his personality and renders it noble” and suggested that “maintaining friendship and seeking the right all the time are great merits.”

The Ten Commandments announced my Holy Moses is written below:

1. God is one.
2. There is no other god for Jews.
3. Idols are not to be built and not to be worshipped.
4. People will work six days in a week, and rest on Saturday (Sabbath)
5. Love and respect will be given to your mothers and fathers.
6. Committing homicide is strictly forbidden.
7. Adultery is forbidden.
8. False witnessing is forbidden.
9. Theft is forbidden.
10. Threatening the goods and chastity of your neighbor is forbidden.

The Commandments starting from the fourth one is of ethical value. Not only did Israel accept these rules, but many countries adopted and applied them as laws.

Holy Jesus said, “I did not come to destroy or terminate the laws, I came to complete them,” and brought justice, peace, cordiality, and human love.

Holy Mohammad (S.A.S) said, “I was sent only to complete good morals.” Another hadith of his about morals is “the most beautiful of you in belief is the one most beautiful in morals.” He also prayed like, “I beg you, my God, good health and good morals.”

ACCORDING TO MORALISTS, ONE MUST BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE FOLLOWING

1. Take care of his/her body, protect his/her health.
2. Avoid excessive diet and consumption.
3. Avoid harmful things to the body.
4. Strengthen his/her will.
5. Enlighten his/her mind with knowledge. He/she must seek science or knowledge “from the cradle to the grave.”

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HUMAN

These can be divided into three groups:

1. to personality,
2. to family
3. to society

PERSONAL DUTIES

1. Cleaning the body
2. Avoiding harmful things to health
3. Avoiding harmful diets or regimen
4. Avoiding harmful habits to the body, such as alcohol, drugs, etc.
5. Strengthen his/her will, therefore doing useful things, avoiding harmful things, and not imitating his/her friends’ harmful behaviors.
6. Trying to gain science and skills throughout life. Besides science, handicraft should also be gained and improved. This duty is also present in other civilizations.

DUTIES AGAINST THE FAMILY

Family is the basis of social existence. The duties of family members against each other are as follows:

1-    Main duties of the mother:

She is getting along her husband well – paying attention to her children’s care and education – being faithful to her husband – being merciful and equal to her children – avoiding extravagance at home.

2-    Main duties of the father:

Get along his wife well or to treat his wife with kindness– protecting his wife and family members – providing earnings of the family – showing faithfulness to his wife – caring about his children’s education and doing what is necessary – being merciful to his children – treating all his children equally.

3-    Main duties of children against their parents: 

Being respectful – obeying their rightful orders – -to respect both of them equally – being respectful to friends and relatives of their parents – loving, helping, and being merciful to their sisters and brothers.

4-    Servants working at home are also considered as family members. One should treat them well, not request works beyond their capacity, and care about their education and manners 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF HUMAN BEINGS AGAINST SOCIETY

1-    Protecting the life of people:

If one helps another to live, he/she helps the living of all others or who keeps someone alive to keep all the society alive.

2-    Protecting the freedom of people:

Every person is born and lives as free; people cannot be slaves. They cannot be enslaved during and after the war, except the circumstances applied for a limited time. The boundary of human freedom can be very near to another, but it cannot touch or pass. Freedom or liberty means the absence of compulsion or restriction. In other words, freedom is the condition of a person without the pressure of despotic power. For a person, freedom is being not enslaved and not being under the domination of another person. There are several terms for freedom: Personal freedom, personal liberty (human rights), working freedom, and freedom for establishing associations, freedom to look for his /her right, freedom for learning science and arts, and freedom for accessing information.

3-    Being respectful to the views and beliefs of other people:

People must not interfere with opinions out of the conscience of other people. However, one may warn kindly or recommend the other behaving incorrectly without pressure. Different opinions or views must not be considered an insult or disrespect. We should not have disrespect to the ideas of other people. Everyone's ideas are based on certain things, reasons, or events; she/he cannot tell us how she/he should think. We cannot see some of the considerations that may be the cause of her/his different opinions. We must not tell our own ideas are superior.

4-    Respect to honor and pride of the others:

Behaviors like slander, gossip, and backbiting or foul speech are evil, and they are both against the moral rules and are punished with laws.

5-    Respect to views about science and arts of other people:

Since education provides people with the improvement of opinions, freedom of science and arts is closely related to freedom of ideas. As opinions about science and arts are announced by different means, this can be confused with both freedoms of ideas and freedom of expression. However, it is not possible to discriminate these freedoms from one another. Freedom of science and art is of the subjective character. These two freedoms behave differently in teaching, researching, and announcing the results. There is subjectivity in freedoms of ideas and expressions, and their aim is to make the other person adopt an idea. Due to this difference of subjectivity, freedoms of ideas and expressions are much more limited than freedoms of science and arts in countries governed by an authoritarian regime.

6-    Wishing for happiness and goodness of all humanity:

One must consider that a person behaving differently has a reasonable cause to do so. A general tolerance and begging positive things for all humanity gives good spiritual results to the person.

ENGINEER AND ENGINEERING

An Arabic and Turkish word “?????,” “mühendis” means engineer. This Arabic-Turkish word “mühendis” is originated from “?????”, “hendese” (geometry). An engineer is a person who took education on doing all of his/her tasks properly and with care, as suggested by its Arabic meaning. The exact etymology of the word “engineer” is who does his work properly, namely planned and organized. The Latin word “engineer” originated in 1350 or 1400 from Medieval Latin. It means “person who thinks, organizes, invents and arranges.” “Ingenium” in Latin means being born, making opinions to come out, with quality, mental power, and invention, cleverness. Also, the word engineer (Latin ingeniator) is derived from the Latin words ingeniare ("to create, generate, contrive, devise").

Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets, and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and cost.

Engineering has a different means. First, it means is “the art or science of making practical and systematic application of the knowledge of pure sciences, like mathematics, physics, chemistry, and all other sciences to use to meet the concrete needs of human beings. “The second is “the action of work or profession of an engineer.” The third is “skillful or artful contrivance; maneuvering.”

“Wise Pastor or Wise Monk” is the meaning of engineer in Vietnamese. In Chinese, it means “a person who raises.” As seen in different cultures, the meanings of engineering are of exalting and honoring character.

Figure 1 Making of an Engineer

THE STATUS OF ENGINEER IN SOCIETY AND WHAT ARE EXPECTED FROM ENGINEERS

The engineer is one of the most important members and the most significant components of industrial society in our age. His/her task is to convert the results of scientific researches into technologic matters and to solve public requirements with safely and minimal costs. Therefore, the engineer is placed in the center of the industrial community and production mechanism. Due to his/her position, he/she must constantly renew the current knowledge, work in an orderly and organized manner, and observe the society and economic problems wisely. An engineer is a person who can analyze and synthesize to find, examine, decide, and apply solutions that are optimum, economical, and applicable to the environment and also socially acceptable. The engineer will provide goods and services required by the people. The products he/she will supply and suggest can be new or old products obtained at a low cost.

The engineer must try to control naturally occurring materials and energy sources. The engineer must see his/her responsibilities in the society while researching for the solutions which are most suitable, economical, and which do not waste environmental sources and must criticize his/her own faults for improving further.

COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ACCREDITATION (CHEA) (ACCREDITATION BOARD OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)

CODE OF ETHICS

Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is interested in the accreditation of the diploma or license in. The U.S.A. formerly ABET, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology ABET, Inc. CHEA is an organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. Accreditation is intended to certify the quality of these programs, mainly in the United States, but also internationally. As of October 2009, around 3,100 programs are accredited, distributed over more than 600 universities and colleges in 21 countries. The name of the ABET was transformed to CHEA since 1997.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (2006) adopted the following principles of the CHEA as Code of Ethics of Engineers:

As a member of an honorable profession, all engineers comply with some Code of Ethics, some rules about ethics, as stated below:

1. Engineers uphold (raise, elevate) and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of the engineering profession by using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement (or increasing) of human welfare and the environment;
2. Being honest impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and the clients;
3. Striving (try hard) to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and
4. They are supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

FUNDAMENTAL CANNONS FOR ENGINEERING ETHICS 

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public and shall strive or try hard to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation or fame, on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENGINEERS TOWARDS THEMSELVES

1. They should update their occupational knowledge, develop and enhance their culture and professional proficiency.
2. They should take their colleague’s honest and objective criticisms into consideration in occupational activities and also show the courage to criticize themselves when required.
3. They should endeavor to understand their co-workers and accommodate multi-cultural work environments.
4. They should neither put up a notice nor advertise by claiming that they do quality and inexpensive work, save up of time, and similar things in design and manufacture as contrary to fact.
5. Every engineer can make a public announcement provided that he proves the technical specifications and implementation results of a product that he implements and is in charge of.
6. They should not inappropriately undertake attempts to provide a job; also, they should not collect the fee when he/she is entitled to enter into a job or hire one or make a profit for himself/herself from the people to take a job. 
7. As an engineer, one should not accept duties and job positions contrary to their profession.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF MANAGERS, EMPLOYERS, CUSTOMERS, AND SOCIETY AGAINST ENGINEERS

1. Engineers play a central role in all parts of technological development and in the center. Therefore, understanding the ethical results of engineering work is of vital importance. Engineers must be are aware of their social responsibilities and making self-criticism about dead ends or problems during their future life; they must prepare themselves to life. Engineers prepare themselves by self-criticizing on moral challenges they will face.
2. Managers, employers, customers, and society are under the obligation that engineers have the right to decide at the direction pointed out by their consciences and rights, making their engineering tasks under the responsibility. Executives or managers do not force or persuade engineers to behave and to make decisions against their consciences of the engineers.
3. When engineer resist against the pressures from an employer or community as a single person after a point bother or his employer, and the society must be aware of comprehending of their responsibilities have begun.
4. Society or public must have an understanding which comprehends and evaluates the scope and limits of engineers’ responsibilities, and they must know that their responsibilities start where engineers’ responsibilities end and they must be able to undertake these responsibilities. In other words, employers and society must not leave the engineer alone in solving the problems at hand.
5. The employer must supply the required tools, instruments and working place for the engineer to give a result, and show respect to the decisions taken by the engineer, must not interfere with them, and the employer must not ask the engineer to decide against her/his engineering ethics or morals, and must not persuade or force the engineer to do so.
6. Both the employer and the society must request legal things from the engineer; they must not make demands which are unlawful or immoral.
7. The engineer is not a problem solver only. She/he must solve problems at the beginning of her/his career, but with time and experience, her/his goal must change into deciding rather than problem-solving. The occupation of engineering also includes the trial-and-error approach, which evaluates the results obtained in the task and controls the decisions made during the duty.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENGINEERS TOWARDS SOCIETY 

1. Engineers should employ their professional knowledge, skill, and experiences for the common interest of society, the protection of universal humanitarian gains and cultural heritage, and the improvement of human welfare. Their responsibilities towards society’s health, security, and welfare should always be put ahead of their personal interests, colleague’s interests, or the interests of the community of engineers.
2. If engineers realize that the service demanded from them will constitute a risk for society and environment and their professional judgments are not taken into account by their employers or customers, they should state their written opinion to their employers and customers. If they get no result, they should notify this situation to be occupational or professional organizations, institutions such as the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, and the education and learning institutions, universities, should be informed to official public bodies and/or public opinion when required. 
3. Putting all kinds of commercial and personal concerns aside, they should accurately, fully and objectively disclose their reports, which include their opinions regarding technical issues within society’s area of interest, as having studied and examined the subject properly and completely and being equipped with sufficient knowledge and data.
4. They should take the necessary precautions or make them take to provide occupational safety and protect workers’ or employees’ health in workplaces, and they should inform employers and employees on these issues.
5. They should act justly, honestly, and good-heartedly towards their employers, customers, colleagues, and everybody in society.
6. They should put forward the effort for the understanding of proper usage of technology and its potential results by society and to improve the engineering and technology capacity of the country.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENGINEERS TOWARDS NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

1. Engineers should see the protection of nature and environment, doing no harm to them, ensuring their practices to be compatible with nature as an integral part of their professions and professional responsibilities.
2. They should develop the objective to fulfill the needs of generations that live and will live in the world with continuous improvement. Engineers should be preferred sustainable development.
3. They should pursue or follow their endeavors ort their efforts for wholly understanding the complex interaction of various ecosystems of the world with each other and minimizing, compensating, and balancing the changes on these ecosystems caused by human impacts.
4. They should take precautions that will promote the health and security of all people and their social and cultural development in the design and construction of engineering structures and works and minimize their negative impacts on nature.
5. While they perform their profession, they should take precautions intended for the minimum consumption of natural resources and energy in any country and the minimum occurrence of waste and pollution.
6. They should raise the awareness of environmental conscience and sustain environmentally healthy working conditions.
7. They should ensure the use of recyclable, substitutable, and transformable materials and the preference for environmentally friendly and suitable materials in construction.
8. They should never support or participate in any activity that will interrupt continuous improvement. Engineers should be preferred sustainable development.
9. They should act consistently regarding public health, security, and welfare, undertake responsibilities while making decisions concerning engineering but should not conceal the damages that will be imposed on public health and environment, reveal or explain them publicly and warn the society.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENGINEERS TOWARDS EMPLOYERS

AND THEIR CUSTOMERS

1. As always reliable workers, substitutes, or consultants of employers, engineers should work for the interests of employers and customers. However, they should not put the well-being, health, and security of society in danger; they also take public opinion into account while looking after the financial interests of the employer and her/his customer. While working for the interests of the employer and her/his customer, they should utilize the maximum capacity of their occupational skill, knowledge, and experiences, therefore, put forward an adequate and quality job and product.
2. They should neither accept any gift, money, service, or job proposal from others, in other words, from third parties, directly or indirectly, in a way that will affect their professional relations with employers and their customers nor offer to others.
3.  They should not make political connections and give donations with the purpose of improving their professional relations
4. They should not reveal or explain the commercial or technological secrets of employers and customers to others without permission and use them for their personal gains. They should protect confidential information in their activities and uncover the conflicts of interest.
5. Engineers should not be middleman on behalf of the employer and her/his customer without their demand and approval. Likewise, they should neither make contracts with others on their own except employer’s or customer’s instruction nor receive or give the order.
6. They should conceal or hide all scientific, technical, financial, and other information that concerns the employer or her/his customer until they are revealed by the employer, her/his customer or relevant people or public interest are damaged. 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENGINEERS TOWARDS THEIR PROFESSION AND COLLEAGUES

1. They should pursue their professional activities in a way that will earn all their colleagues’ trust and show maximum care for the prestige of their profession.
2. They should approach all their colleagues respectfully and not enter into unfair competition with their colleagues.
3. They should respect original works and copyrights and specify the ones, who provide a contribution to their works, and these contributions.
4. They should put forward the effort for the development of their inferiors, who are under their commands, and young colleagues and help them.
5. They should only provide professional service in areas in which they are competent, apply for officials or experts in other areas of expertise that may affect their service, enjoy interdisciplinary work, and encourage it.
6. They should only transfer their professional duty, authority, and responsibilities in compulsory or required situations and to competent colleagues.
7. They should only perform their jobs within the framework of occupational duty, authority, and responsibility given to them and use only the role and titles that they were officially entitled to.
8. They should not help the ones, who act against the principles of professional conduct or engineering ethics that were emphasized in the aforementioned articles, conduct business with them, participate in their activities and also warn these people and cooperate with professional organizations (chambers) in these topics. On the other hand, they should wholeheartedly support their colleagues, who comply with the principles of professional conduct.
9. While respecting their colleagues’ occupational skills at the utmost level, they should not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, and title.

Let's think together: Some people see what’s there and wonder, “WHY?” … The engineer sees what’s not there and wonders, “WHY not?” The question is, “What is the difference between the people who wonder “WHY” and “WHY not.” Is it a mindset of Whyology[2] , or it’s an Innovation state of mind? Is that that “WHY not” question could be a vision or only a cumulation of experiences that gives meaning to their actions?

Key Terms

[1] Axiology is the philosophical study of value. It is either the collective term for ethics and aesthetics, philosophical fields that depend crucially on notions of worth, or the foundation for these fields and thus similar to value theory and meta-ethics.

[2] Whyology (why-ology) n – Why: or what cause, reason, or purpose, the suffix -logy means a branch of learning or study of a particular subject.