Ethics in Engineering

We invite you to explore and debate these issues and resources. Please send ethics@asme.org any questions or comments related to this subject.

ASME maintains its own Code of Ethics of Engineers as one of its Society Policies.
ASME has issued Criteria for the Interpretation of the Fundamental Canons that are contained in the Code of Ethics.

The National Institute for Engineering Ethics released its latest contribution to teaching professional ethics in engineering. A 30-minute movie, Henry's Daughters, follows the ethical conflicts of three family members working on a smart highway design project. The characters face ethical issues such as conflicts of interest, sexual harassment, intellectual property, and individual privacy. They disagree over the tradeoffs between technical performance, safety, reliability, and cost and discover how political and social factors can influence technical decisions. In recognition of its $5,000 contribution toward the development of Henry's Daughters, ASME received five copies of the DVD. If an ASME unit would like to borrow one, e-mail the request to soukupd@asme.org.

The National Institute for Engineering Ethics (NIEE) at Purdue University provides resources and presents conferences on engineering ethics. ASME provides a direct liaison to NIEE.