# Engineering ethics
## Links (Wikipedia order)
<!-- injected from _registry/childlinks/Engineering_ethics.json (2026-07-30T02:09:12Z) -->
`A_Theory_of_Justice` · `A_Treatise_of_Human_Nature` · `Aberfan_disaster` · `Accountability` · [[Acoustical_engineering]] · `Adam_Smith` · [[Aerospace_engineering]] · `After_Virtue` · [[Agricultural_engineering]] · `Alasdair_MacIntyre` · `Amasa_Stone` · `American_Institute_of_Chemical_Engineers` · `American_Institute_of_Electrical_Engineers` · `American_Institute_of_Mining,_Metallurgical,_and_Petroleum_Engineers` · `American_Nuclear_Society` · `American_Society_of_Civil_Engineers` · `American_Society_of_Mechanical_Engineers` · `An_Introduction_to_the_Principles_of_Morals_and_Legislation` · `Animal_Liberation_(book)` · `Animal_ethics` · `Applied_ethics` · [[Architectural_engineering]] · `Aristotle` · `Arthur_Schopenhauer` · `Artificial_intelligence_engineering` · `Association_for_Consultancy_and_Engineering` · `Audio_engineer` · `Augustine_of_Hippo` · `Authority` · `Automation_engineering` · [[Automotive_engineering]] · `Autonomy` · `Axiological_ethics` · `Bachelor_of_Engineering` · `Bachelor_of_Science` · `Baruch_Spinoza` · `Bernard_Williams` · `Bhopal_disaster` · [[Biochemical_engineering]] · `Bioethics` · [[Bioinformatics]] · [[Biological_engineering]] · `Biomaterial` · [[Biomechanical_engineering]] · [[Biomedical_engineering]] · `Bioresource_engineering` · `Blame` · `Bribery` · [[Broadcast_engineering]] · `Buddhist_ethics` · [[Building_services_engineering]] · `Business_ethics` · `Casuistry` · [[Ceramic_engineering]] · `Charles_Taylor_(philosopher)` · [[Chemical_engineering]] · [[Chemical_reaction_engineering]] · `Chernobyl_disaster` · `Chevrolet_Corvair` · `Christian_ethics` · `Christine_Korsgaard` · `Cicero` · `Citigroup_Center` · [[Civil_engineering]] · `Clinical_engineering` · [[Coastal_engineering]] · `Cognitivism_(ethics)` · `Common_sense` · `Compassion` · [[Computer_engineering]] · `Computer_ethics` · `Computer_network_engineering` · `Conflict_of_interest` · `Confucianism` · `Confucius` · `Conscience` · `Consent` · `Consequentialism` · [[Construction_engineering]] · [[Control_engineering]] · [[Corrosion_engineering]] · `Culture_of_life` · [[Data_engineering]] · `David_Hume` · `Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill` · `Derek_Parfit` · `Descriptive_ethics` · `Desert_(philosophy)` · `Design_engineer` · `Dietrich_Bonhoeffer` · `Dignity` · `Diogenes` · `Discourse_ethics` · `Divine_command_theory` · `Doctorate` · `Double_standard` · `Duty` · [[Earthquake_engineering]] · [[Ecological_engineering]] · `Economic_ethics` · `Egalitarianism` · `Either/Or_(Kierkegaard_book)` · [[Electrical_engineering]] · [[Electrochemical_engineering]] · [[Electromechanics]] · `Elements_of_the_Philosophy_of_Right` · `Emotivism` · [[Energy_engineering]] · `Engineer` · `Engineer's_degree` · [[Engineering]] · `Engineering_Council` · [[Engineering_drawing]] · [[Engineering_education]] · [[Engineering_management]] · [[Engineering_mathematics]] · [[Engineering_physics]] · `Engineers_Australia` · [[Environmental_engineering]] · `Environmental_ethics` · `Environmental_protection` · `Epicureanism` · `Ethical_intuitionism` · `Ethical_naturalism` · `Ethical_non-naturalism` · `Ethical_subjectivism` · `Ethics` · `Ethics_in_religion` · `Ethics_of_artificial_intelligence` · `Ethics_of_care` · `Ethics_of_eating_meat` · `Ethics_of_technology` · `Ethics_of_terraforming` · `Ethics_of_uncertain_sentience` · `Etiquette` · `Eudaimonia` · `Euthyphro_dilemma` · `Evil` · `Evolutionary_ethics` · `Existentialism` · [[Explosives_engineering]] · `Expressivism` · [[Facilities_engineering]] · `Family_values` · `Feminist_ethics` · `Fidelity` · [[Fire_protection_engineering]] · [[Food_engineering]] · `Ford_Pinto` · [[Forensic_engineering]] · `Free_will` · `Friedrich_Nietzsche` · `G._E._M._Anscombe` · `G._E._Moore` · `General_Motors_ignition_switch_recalls` · [[Genetic_engineering]] · [[Geological_engineering]] · `Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel` · [[Geotechnical_engineering]] · `Glossary` · [[Glossary_of_aerospace_engineering]] · [[Glossary_of_civil_engineering]] · [[Glossary_of_electrical_and_electronics_engineering]] · `Glossary_of_engineering:_A–L` · `Glossary_of_engineering:_M–Z` · [[Glossary_of_mechanical_engineering]] · [[Glossary_of_structural_engineering]] · `Golden_Rule` · `Good` · `Good_and_evil` · `Graduate_certificate` · `Greed` · `Groundwork_of_the_Metaphysics_of_Morals` · `Groupthink` · `Happiness` · [[Health_technology]] · `Henry_Petroski` · `Henry_Sidgwick` · `Hippocratic_Oath` · [[History_of_engineering]] · `History_of_ethics` · `Honour` · `Human_rights` · `Hyatt_Regency_walkway_collapse` · [[Hydraulic_engineering]] · `Ideal_(ethics)` · `Ideal_observer_theory` · `Ideology` · `Immanuel_Kant` · `Immorality` · `Importance` · [[Industrial_engineering]] · `Information_engineering` · `Insects_in_ethics` · `Institute_of_Electrical_and_Electronics_Engineers` · `Institute_of_Radio_Engineers` · `Institution_of_Civil_Engineers` · `Institution_of_Engineering_and_Technology` · `Institution_of_Engineers,_Sri_Lanka` · `Instrumental_and_intrinsic_value` · [[Instrumentation_and_control_engineering]] · [[Interdisciplinarity]] · `Intrinsic_value_(ethics)` · `Iron_Ring` · `Islamic_ethics` · `J._L._Mackie` · `Japanese_values` · `Jeremy_Bentham` · `Jewish_ethics` · `John_Dewey` · `John_Rawls` · `John_Stuart_Mill` · `Johnstown_Flood` · `Joseph_Butler` · `Joxe_Azurmendi` · `Jurisprudence` · `Justice` · `Kantian_ethics` · `Karl_Barth` · `Land_ethic` · `Legal_ethics` · `Liberty` · [[List_of_engineering_branches]] · `List_of_ethicists` · [[Logistics_engineering]] · `Lois_Gibbs` · `Love_Canal` · `Loyalty` · `Lysenkoism` · `Machine_ethics` · [[Manufacturing_engineering]] · [[Marine_engineering]] · `Marketing_ethics` · `Mars_Climate_Orbiter` · `Mars_Polar_Lander` · `Martha_Nussbaum` · `Master's_degree` · [[Materials_science]] · `Mechanical,_electrical,_and_plumbing` · [[Mechanical_engineering]] · [[Mechatronics]] · `Media_ethics` · `Medical_ethics` · `Mencius` · `Metaethics` · [[Metallurgy]] · [[Microwave_engineering]] · [[Military_engineering]] · `Minamata_disease` · [[Mining_engineering]] · [[Molecular_engineering]] · `Moral_absolutism` · `Moral_agency` · `Moral_circle_expansion` · `Moral_constructivism` · `Moral_courage` · `Moral_hierarchy` · `Moral_imperative` · `Moral_nihilism` · `Moral_particularism` · `Moral_psychology` · `Moral_rationalism` · `Moral_realism` · `Moral_relativism` · `Moral_skepticism` · `Moral_universalism` · `Morality` · `Mozi` · `Municipal_or_urban_engineering` · `Nanoengineering` · `National_Academy_of_Engineering` · `National_Society_of_Professional_Engineers` · [[Naval_architecture]] · `Nicomachean_Ethics` · `Non-cognitivism` · `Norm_(philosophy)` · `Normative_ethics` · `Northwestern_University` · [[Nuclear_engineering]] · `Nursing_ethics` · `Offshoring` · `On_the_Genealogy_of_Morality` · [[Ontology_engineering]] · [[Optical_engineering]] · `Order_of_the_Engineer` · `Organizational_behavior` · `Outline_of_computer_engineering` · [[Outline_of_engineering]] · `Outline_of_ethics` · `Pacifism` · [[Packaging_engineering]] · [[Paper_engineering]] · `Paul_Tillich` · `Peter_Singer` · [[Petroleum_engineering]] · [[Pharmaceutical_engineering]] · `Philippa_Foot` · `Philosophy_of_engineering` · [[Philosophy_of_science]] · `Plato` · `Political_freedom` · `Political_philosophy` · [[Polymer_engineering]] · `Population_ethics` · [[Power_engineering]] · `Pragmatic_ethics` · `Precept` · `Principia_Ethica` · `Privacy_engineering` · `Problem_of_evil` · [[Process_engineering]] · `Professional_Engineers_Ontario` · `Professional_ethics` · `Programming_ethics` · `Protestant_work_ethic` · `Punishment` · `Quasi-realism` · `Quebec_Bridge` · `R._M._Hare` · [[Radio-frequency_engineering]] · [[Railway_engineering]] · `Ralph_Nader` · `Reasons_and_Persons` · `Regulation_and_licensure_in_engineering` · `Rehabilitation_(penology)` · `Rehabilitation_engineering` · `Research_ethics` · `Rights` · [[River_engineering]] · `Robert_Merrihew_Adams` · [[Robotics_engineering]] · `Role_ethics` · [[Safety_engineering]] · [[Sanitary_engineering]] · `Secular_ethics` · [[Security_engineering]] · [[Semiconductor_device]] · `Sexual_ethics` · `Shawn_Carpenter` · [[Signal_processing]] · `Social_philosophy` · [[Society]] · `Society_of_Fire_Protection_Engineers` · `Society_of_Manufacturing_Engineers` · `Society_of_Petroleum_Engineers` · `Socrates` · [[Software_engineering]] · `South_Fork_Fishing_and_Hunting_Club` · `Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster` · `Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster` · `Sports_engineering` · `Stewardship` · `Stoicism` · [[Structural_engineering]] · `Suffering` · `Suffering-focused_ethics` · [[Surface_engineering]] · `Sustainable_development` · [[Sustainable_engineering]] · `Sympathy` · [[Systems_engineering]] · `Søren_Kierkegaard` · `Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_(1940)` · `Taoism` · `Tay_Bridge_disaster` · [[Telecommunications_engineering]] · `The_Holocaust` · `The_Methods_of_Ethics` · `The_Right_and_the_Good` · `The_Theory_of_Moral_Sentiments` · `Theodicy` · `Theodore_Cooper` · `Therac-25` · [[Thermal_engineering]] · `Thiruvalluvar` · `Thomas_Aquinas` · `Thomas_Bouch` · `Thomas_Nagel` · `Three_Mile_Island_accident` · [[Tissue_engineering]] · `Titan_submersible_implosion` · `Torture` · `Trade_secret` · [[Traffic_engineering_(transportation)]] · `Transparency_International` · [[Transportation_engineering]] · [[Tribology]] · `Trust_(social_science)` · `Union_of_Chambers_of_Turkish_Engineers_and_Architects` · `Universal_prescriptivism` · `University_of_Western_Ontario` · `Unsafe_at_Any_Speed` · `Utilitarianism` · `Utilitarianism_(book)` · `Utility` · `Value_(ethics)` · `Value_pluralism` · `Value_theory` · `Verein_Deutscher_Ingenieure` · `Vice` · `Virtue` · `Virtue_ethics` · `Vow` · [[Wayback_Machine]] · `Whistleblowing` · `William_Frankena` · `William_Henry_Barlow` · `William_Yolland` · `Work_ethic` · `Wrongdoing` · `Xunzi_(philosopher)`
## From the Real GENERATIVE library
*Engineering ethics — placed from the Real G.E.N.E.R.A.T.I.V.E. course library (STEM and Music room). Source: Wikimedia Commons (via Wikipedia article media). [Details & license](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Original_Tay_Bridge_before_the_1879_collapse.jpg).*
> Engineering ethics is the field of system of moral principles that apply to the practice of engineering. The field examines and sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their clients, and to the profession. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_ethics))
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> Summary stub · part of Process Engineering · [Wikipedia source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_ethics)
## Summary
Engineering ethics is a [[System|system]] of moral principles that applies values and judgments to the practice of [[Engineering|engineering]]. It addresses the moral principles and values that engineers should uphold when designing, building, and maintaining structures, machines, and systems that affect public safety and wellbeing. Engineers face ethical challenges including conflicts between profit and public safety, environmental responsibility, and professional integrity in the design and [[Implementation|implementation]] of technical solutions. The field encompasses professional codes of conduct, responsibility to clients and the public, environmental stewardship, and honest reporting of technical limitations and risks.
## Key points
- Guides engineers to prioritize public safety and welfare over corporate interests
- Encompasses conflicts between financial gain and ethical responsibility in technical projects
- Requires transparency in reporting risks, limitations, and potential failures of designs
- Addresses environmental impacts and sustainable practices in engineering work
- Regulated through professional codes of ethics (IEEE, ASME, etc.) and licensing requirements
## Relation to Process Engineering
Process engineers must navigate ethical dilemmas around safety, efficiency, and environmental impact. Engineering ethics provides the moral framework guiding decisions about [[Process_design|process design]], waste management, worker safety, and resource consumption in industrial processes.
## Sources
- [Engineering ethics — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_ethics)
Back to Process Engineering
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**Universals (4):** 🟡 system (11) · 🟡 society (3) · 🟡 structure (1) · 🟢 tradeoff balance (1)
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## Wikipedia : Wikitube
**Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_ethics) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Engineering_ethics)
## Previous hub tags
Tree parent: [[Systems_engineering]].
Legacy hubs: none.
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*Sources: 2 legacy notes. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*