Ten Ethical Principles for all engineers to Guide Behavior?

Initiative

The study of history, philosophy, and religion reveals a strong consensus about certain universal and timeless values that are central to
leading an ethical life.

1. Honesty.

 Be truthful, sincere, forthright, straightforward, frank, and candid; do not cheat, lie, steal, deceive, or act deviously.

2. Integrity.

 Be principled, honorable, upright, and courageous and act on convictions; do not be two-faced or unscrupulous or
adopt an ends-justifies-the-means philosophy that ignores principle.

3. Promise-keeping.

 Be worthy of trust, keep promises, fulfill commitments, and abide by the spirit as well as the letter of an
agreement; do not interpret agreements in a technical or legalistic manner to rationalize noncompliance or to create excuses for
breaking commitments.

4. Fidelity.

 Be faithful and loyal to family, friends, employers, and country; do not use or disclose information earned in
confidence; in a professional context, safeguard the ability to make independent professional judgments by scrupulously
avoiding undue influences and conflicts of interest.

5. Fairness. 

Be fair and open-minded, be willing to admit error and, when appropriate, change positions and beliefs; demonstrate a
commitment to justice, the equal treatment of individuals, and tolerance for diversity; do not overreach or take undue advantage
of another’s mistakes or adversities.

6. Caring for others.

 Be caring, kind, and compassionate; share, be giving, and serve others; help those in need and avoid
harming others.

7. Respect for others.

Demonstrate respect for human dignity, privacy, and the right to self-determination for all people; be
courteous, prompt, and decent; provide others with the information they need to make informed decisions about their own lives;
do not patronize, embarrass, or demean.

8. Responsible citizenship.

 Obey just laws [if a law is unjust, openly protest it]; exercise all democratic rights and privileges
responsibly by participation [voting and expressing informed views], social consciousness, and public service; when in a position
of leadership or authority, openly respect and honor democratic processes of decision making, avoid secrecy or concealment of
information, and ensure others have the information needed to make intelligent choices and exercise their rights.

9. Pursuit of excellence.

 Pursue excellence in all matters; in meeting personal and professional responsibilities, be diligent,
reliable, industrious, and committed; perform all tasks to the best of your ability, develop and maintain a high degree of
competence, and be well informed and well prepared; do not be content with mediocrity, but do not seek to win “at any cost.”

10. Accountability.

 Be accountable; accept responsibility for decisions, for the foreseeable consequences of actions and inactions,
and for setting an example for others. Parents, teachers, employers, many professionals, and public officials have a special
obligation to lead by example and to safeguard and advance the integrity and reputation of their families, companies, professions,
and the government; avoid even the appearance of impropriety and take whatever actions are necessary to correct or prevent
inappropriate conduct by others.

General principles

“ Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public ”
— National Society of Professional Engineers,
“ A practitioner shall, regard the practitioner's duty to public welfare as paramount." ”
— Professional Engineers Ontario,
Codes of engineering ethics identify a specific precedence with respect to the engineer's consideration for the public, clients, employers, and the profession.

Many engineering professional societies have prepared codes of ethics. Some date to the early decades of the twentieth century. These have been incorporated to a greater or lesser degree into the regulatory laws of several jurisdictions. While these statements of general principles served as a guide, engineers still require sound judgment to interpret how the code would apply to specific circumstances.

The general principles of the codes of ethics are largely similar across the various engineering societies and chartering authorities of the world, which further extend the code and publish specific guidance. The following is an example from the American Society of Civil Engineers:

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties.
Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.
Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.
Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the engineering profession and shall act with zero-tolerance for bribery, fraud, and corruption.
Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers, and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their supervision.

Obligation to society

The paramount value recognized by engineers is the safety and welfare of the public. As demonstrated by the following selected excerpts, this is the case for professional engineering organizations in nearly every jurisdiction and engineering discipline:

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: "We, the members of the IEEE, … do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree: 1. to accept responsibility in making decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;"
Institution of Civil Engineers: "Members of the ICE should always be aware of their overriding responsibility to the public good. A member’s obligations to the client can never override this, and members of the ICE should not enter undertakings which compromise this responsibility. The ‘public good’ encompasses care and respect for the environment, and for humanity’s cultural, historical and archaeological heritage, as well as the primary responsibility members have to protect the health and well being of present and future generations."
Professional Engineers Ontario: "A practitioner shall, regard the practitioner's duty to public welfare as paramount."
National Society of Professional Engineers: "Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall: Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public."
American Society of Mechanical Engineers: "Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties."
Institute of Industrial Engineers: "Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by: 2. Being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and clients."
American Institute of Chemical Engineers: "To achieve these goals, members shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and protect the environment in performance of their professional duties."
American Nuclear Society: "ANS members uphold and advance the integrity and honor of their professions by using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and the environment; being honest and impartial; serving with fidelity the public, their employers, and their clients; and striving to continuously improve the competence and prestige of their various professions."

Responsibility of engineers

The engineer recognizes that the greatest merit is the work and exercises his profession committed to serving society, attending to the welfare and progress of the majority. By transforming nature for the benefit of mankind, the engineer must increase his awareness of the world as the abode of man, his interest in the universe as a guarantee of overcoming his spirit, and knowledge of reality to make the world fairer and happier. The engineer should reject any paper that is intended to harm the general interest, thus avoiding a situation that might be hazardous or threatening to the environment, life, health, or other rights of human beings. It is an inescapable duty of the engineer to uphold the prestige of the profession, to ensure its proper discharge, and to maintain a professional demeanor rooted in ability, honesty, fortitude, temperance, magnanimity, modesty, honesty, and justice; with the consciousness of individual well-being subordinate to the social good. The engineer and his employer must ensure the continuous improvement of his knowledge, particularly of his profession, disseminate his knowledge, share his experience, provide opportunities for education and training of workers, provide recognition, moral and material support to the school where he studied, thus returning the benefits and opportunities he and his employer have received. It is the responsibility of the engineer to carry out his work efficiently and to support the law. In particular, he must ensure compliance with the standards of worker protection as provided by the law. As a professional, the engineer is expected to commit himself to high standards of conduct (NSPE).Courtesy of wikipedia...