Professional Ethics: Mte-254 Assignment 02

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Professional Ethics

MtE-254

Assignment 02

Date: 05/21/2021

Submitted by: Syed Suleman Ayub (19pwmct0678)

Submitted to: Engr. Sadaf Sardar

MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT


UET PESHAWAR

Assignment: Design analogy: Whitbeck


Upon reading design analogy: Whitbeck, we came to the conclusion that engineering design is a
model for moral decision making. To understand it better we will take the example of the
assignment given to students by Caroline Whitbeck. She assigned the mechanical students to
design a child seat that fits on top of standard suitcase with wheels. Now there were some
limitations and restrictions, which she specified. These constraints were related to size, shape,
use and most importantly safety features. They was inexactness on how to increase the safety
features and should other convenience features be included or not.
The students came up with different designs that were reasonable solution to the design problem,
yet no solution was ideal in every regard. We see here that several aspects of engineering
decisions highlight important aspects of moral decisions in general. We will go through each
aspect one by one and see how engineering design is a model for moral decision making.
1) Usually there are alternative solutions to design problems, more than one which is
satisfactory. Just like in the assignment, the students made different designs that solved
some of the problems. Similarly Moral issues also have more than one satisfactory
solution. Sometimes we overlook most of these solutions because we are looking for the
one which is better than all of them. Just like in the assignment, some students thought
the better solution to the child seat is in shape and size while some students focused on
safety features.
2) As we saw that there are several satisfactory solutions to the design problem. But when
these solutions are compared to each other, some solutions are better in some respects
while less satisfactory in other respects. Similarly some solutions fully satisfy multiple
moral values but some moral values are left unsatisfied. Just like in the assignment, some
designs solved the shape and size problem but safety was not satisfactory. Similarly some
designs had safety features but they had other problems that were left unsatisfied.
3) Some design solutions don’t even satisfy the minimum standards for it to be accepted.
Thus they are rejected. In the assignment if some designs had large size as well as less
safety features then it would not be considered a design solution. Similarly some
solutions to moral values are ruled out because they are even below the minimum
standard of decency and justice.
4) Just like in engineering designs, where there are inexactness and uncertainty not only
about the procedure and outcome of a design solution but also about the problems that
will arise with a possible solution, there is inexactness in solutions for moral values too.
One cannot know for certain the problems that will arise with a solution for a moral
value.
5) Usually there isn’t just one design problem to be solved, problems arise with time. In
case of aluminum cans, there were different design problem that arise time to time.
Similarly moral decisions are also dynamic and one has to make choices with time and
not just stick to one solution.
Looking at the above aspect we can say that that engineering design is a model for moral
decision making.

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