Course Contents This course describes and analyses the responsibility of engineers in the light of philosophical, historical and juridical
backgrounds. Topics covered include:
Description and analysis of the problems encountered by engineers who want to act responsible.
Codes of ethics for engineers.
Argumentation and reasoning.
Uncertainty, ignorance, risks, and their implications for responsible behavior.
(Philosophical) ethics, the foundation of (criteria) for good and bad, right and wrong, responsible and irresponsible behavior.
Responsibility within and of organizations; the role of law.
Study Goals The course has two major study goals:
1) To get acquainted with the theoretical insights and relevant concepts in ethics of technology
2) To experience how this theoretical knowledge could be applied to an engineering case
The first will be assessed via weekly assignments on brightspace. The second will be assessed with an essay that students write
in trios or pairs.
After the course students should:
- be able to recognize and analyze the ethical aspects and problems of their future professional practice and to conduct a solutionoriented debate about such problems;
- have knowledge of relevant backgrounds (ethics, law, responsibility in and of organizations, historical developments).
