Applications of Narrative Ethics to Engineering

Since information and communication systems provide the underlying infrastructure of modern society, ethical behaviour by engineers, computer scientists and others working with and developing these systems is central to social stability. At the same time there is a range of increasing pressures and temptations to behave unethically or, at the least, to cut corners. Despite the very welcome development of codes of ethics or professional conduct by a number of engineering and other professional societies, there is still a lack of support mechanisms for engineering and information technology professionals who want to behave ethically. Narrative ethics provides an alternative view of ethics in which codes of ethics are de-emphasised in favour of a process-based approach. This paper unpacks this concept and proposes narrative ethics as an important way forward in the ethics debate for engineering and social stability. Copyright © IFAC 2005.