Putting Ethics at the Heart of Environmental Design

伦理学案例在工程课程中的应用越来越广泛。很少包括设计和环境问题。然而，所有的设计都有伦理意义，对环境的日益关注将是未来工程师面临的巨大挑战之一。该项目将创建并评估一系列案例，重点关注发明和设计过程早期阶段的道德考虑，这些案例鼓励学生在考虑环境问题的情况下对设计进行富有想象力的思考。在工程教育中使用案例可能有助于培养工程师更好地在创造和营销新技术方面做出道德决策。为了说明(1)道德想象力的必要性，以及(2)努力达到要求消除环境风险的标准所面临的挑战，我计划了两组案例。第一种类型的公司虽然做出了合理的设计决策，但却发现自己陷入了困境，因为他们没有意识到其他人是如何构建自己的体验的。第二组将挑战学生设计既环保又可行的产品，或者避免任何产品设计中固有的社会和政治风险。案例和教学笔记将在课堂上进行测试。结果应该吸引各种学科，包括工程，技术，环境研究和伦理。它们将被发表在达顿商学院的案例参考书目中，并出现在万维网、文章和最终的教科书中。该项目还允许两名研究生在进行研究并帮助撰写和评估案例的同时，选修一门结合了系统工程和伦理学的特殊课程。

Ethics cases are of growing use in engineering courses. Few include design and environmental issues. Yet, all designs have ethical implications, and increasing concern for the environment will be one of the great challenges for future engineers. This project will create and evaluate a collection of cases that focuses on ethical considerations in the early stages of the invention and design process, cases that encourage students to think imaginatively about design in light of environmental concerns. Using the cases in engineering education may help to produce engineers better able to make ethical decisions about creating and marketing new technologies. Two sets of cases are planned in order to illustrate (1) the need for moral imagination, and (2) the challenge of trying to meet standards calling for the elimination of environmental risk. The first set considers companies who make sound design decisions but find themselves in trouble because they remained unaware of the ways in which other people frame their experience. The second set will challenge students to design products that are both environmentally sustainable and viable, or avoid social and political risks inherent in any product design. The cases and teaching notes will be tested in the classroom. Results should appeal to a variety of disciplines including engineering, technology, environmental studies and ethics. They will be published in the Case Bibliography of the Darden Business School and appear on the World Wide Web and in articles and an eventual textbook. The project also allows two graudate students to pursue a special course concentration combining systems engineering and ethics as they do research and help to write and evaluate the cases.