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Professional ethics reading list

A comprehensive list of books, articles and web resources for those who would like to explore ethics more deeply.

On this page, we have suggested some good introductory texts for those who would like to explore ethics further. As well as introductions to ethics in general, and to engineering ethics in particular, we have included some texts which examine specific central issues in engineering ethics, and some short articles which provide food for thought on a number of ethical questions.

An [L] after the title of a text below indicates that it is available from the IET Library. We have also set up an ethics reading list on the homepage of the library catalogue.

General introductions to ethics

  • Benn, P., 1998. Ethics. London: Routledge;
  • Chadwick, R., Callahan, D., and Singer, P., eds. 1998. Encyclopaedia of Applied Ethics. New York and  London: Academic Press;
  • Lafollette, H., ed. 2002. Ethics in Practice. Oxford: Blackwell;
  • Singer, P., ed. 1991. A Companion to Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell;
  • Singer, P., 1993. Practical Ethics. 2nd edition, Cambridge: CUP.

Engineering ethics

  • Allen, L., and Voss, D., 1997. Ethics in technical communication. New York: Wiley. [L];
  • Baura, G. D., 2006. Engineering ethics: an industrial perspective. Amsterdam: Elsevier. [L];
  • Budinger, T. F., and Budinger, M. D., 2006. Ethics of emerging technologies: scientific facts and moral challenges. New York: Wiley. [L];
  • Davis, M., 1991. Thinking Like an Engineer: The Place of a Code of Ethics in the Practice of a Profession. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 20(2), pp. 150-167;
  • Davis, M., 1998. Thinking Like an Engineer: studies in the ethics of a profession. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [L];
  • Fledderman, C. B., 1999. Engineering ethics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. [L];
  • Harris, C., Pritchard, M., and Rabins, H. 1995. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. New York: Wadsworth;
  • Herkert, J. R., 1999. Social, ethical, and policy implications of engineering: selected readings. New York: IEEE Press. [L];
  • Humphreys, K. K., 1999. What every engineer should know about ethics. New York: Dekker. [L];
  • Johnson, D. G., 1991. Ethical issues in engineering. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. [L];
  • Martin, M., and Schinzinger, R., 2005. Ethics in Engineering. 4th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill [L];
  • Pinkus, R. L. B., Shumanl, J., Hummon, N. P., and Wolfe, H., 1997. Engineering ethics: balancing cost, schedule, and risk: lessons learned from the Space Shuttle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [L];
  • Robinson, S., Dixon, R.; Preece, C., and Moodley, K., 2007. Engineering, business and professional ethics. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. [L] and Books 24/7;
  • Unger, S. H., 1994. Controlling technology: ethics and the responsible engineer. 2nd edition, New York: Wiley.;
  • Vesilind, P. A., and Gunn, A. S., 1998. Engineering, ethics and the environment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [L];
  • Whitbeck, C., 1998. Ethics in engineering practice and research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [L];
  • Ethical issues in biomedical engineering. IEE colloquium, London, 18 June 1998 (Digest 1998/283), London: IEE. [L];
  • The engineer of the 21st century inquiry: engineers for sustainability, 2000. London: Forum for the Future. [L].

Professionalism

  • Armstrong, J., Dixon, R., and Robinson, S., 1999. The Decision Makers: Ethics for Engineers. London: Thomas Telford, chapter 3;
  • Harris, C., Pritchard, M., and Rabins, H., 1995. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. New York: Wadsworth, chapter 2.

Science and technology ethics

  • Hunt, G., and Mehta, M. D., 2008. Nanotechnology: risk, ethics and law. London: Earthscan. [L];
  • Spier, R. E., 2001. Science and technology ethics. London: Routledge. [L];
  • Weeks, R. A., and Kinser, D.L., 1994. Editing the refereed scientific journal: practical, political and ethical issues. New York: IEEE. [L].

Business ethics

  • Bowie, N. E., 2002. Blackwell guide to business ethics. Oxford: Blackwell. [L];
  • Chryssides, G., and Kaler, J., 1993. An Introduction to Business Ethics. Andover: Thomson Learning;
  • Crane, A., and Matten, A., 2003. Business Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press;
  • Frederick, Robert E., 1999. A Companion to Business Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell;
  • Regan, T., ed. 1984. Just Business: New Introductory Essays in Business Ethics. New York: Random House;

Ethics and computing

  • Adams, A. T., and McCrindle, R. J., 2007. Pandora's box: social and professional issues of the information age. New York: Wiley. [L];
  • Ayres, R., 1999. The essence of professional issues in computing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. [L];
  • Baase, S., 2008. Gift of fire: social, legal, and ethical issues for computing and the Internet. 3rd edition, Cambridge: Pearson. [L];
  • Berleur, J., and Brunnstein, K., 1996. Ethics of computing: codes, spaces for discussion and law. London: Chapman & Hall. [L];
  • Bowyer, K. W.,  2001. Ethics and computing: living responsibly in a computerized world. 2nd edition, New York: IEEE. [L];
  • Brown, G., 1990. The information game: ethical issues in a microchip world. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press. [L];
  • Bynum, T.W., and Rogerson, S., 2004. Computer ethics and professional responsibility. Oxford: Blackwell. [L];
  • Epstein, R. G., 1997. The case of the killer robot: stories about the professional, ethical and societal dimensions of computing. New York: Wiley. [L];
  • Forester, T., and Morrison, P., 1994. Computer ethics: cautionary tales and ethical dilemmas in computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT. [L];
  • Goodman, K. W., 1998. Ethics, computing and medicine: informatics and the transformation of health care. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [L];
  • Kizza, J. M., 2007. Ethical and social issues in the information age. 3rd edition, Berlin: Springer. [L];
  • Kluge, E-H., 2003. A handbook of ethics for health informatics professionals. Swindon: BCS. [L];
  • Langford, D., 1995. Practical computer ethics. New York: McGraw-Hill.;
  • Langford, D., 2000. Internet ethics. Basingstoke: Macmillan. [L];
  • Northcutt, S., 2004. IT ethics handbook: right and wrong for IT professionals. Rockland, MA: Syngress. [L];
  • Salehnia, A., 2002. Ethical issues of information systems. Hershey, PA: IRM Press. [L];
  • Secker, P., 1998. Morality in the information society: edited forum proceedings. Part of the Engineering Council 20/20 Vision Programme, Communications theme. London, 11 December 1997, London: IEE. [L];
  • Traber, M., 1986. The myth of the information revolution: social and ethical implications of communications technology. London: Sage. [L].

Defence

  • Davis, M., 1991. Thinking Like an Engineer: The Place of a Code of Ethics in the Practice of a Profession. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 20 (2), pp. 150-167;
  • Davis, M., 1998. Thinking Like an Engineer. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, chapters 4 and 8;
  • Forge, J., 2004. The Morality of Weapons Research. Science and Engineering Ethics, 10, pp. 531-542;
  • Glover, J., 1977. Causing Death and Saving Lives. London: Penguin, chapter 19;
  • Harris, C., Pritchard, M., and Rabins, H., 1995. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. New York: Wadsworth, chapter 2;
  • Kemp, K., 1994. Conducting Scientific Research for the Military as a Civic Duty. In: E. Sherwin et al. eds. Ethical Issues in Scientific Research, pp. 387-396, New York: Garland;
  • Lackey, D., 1994 Military Funds, Moral Demand: Personal Responsibilities of the Individual Scientist. In: E. Sherwin et al. eds. Ethical Issues in Scientific Research. New York: Garland, pp. 397-409;
  • Oderberg, D., 2000. Applied Ethics: A Non-Consequentialist Approach. Oxford: Blackwell, chapter 5;
  • Russell, B., 1915. The Ethics of War. International Journal of Ethics, 25 (2), pp. 127-142;
  • Sherwin, E., Gendin, S., and Kleiman, L., eds. 1994. Ethical Issues in Scientific Research. New York: Garland;
  • Swyter, H., 1970. Political Considerations and Analysis of Military Requirements for Chemical and Biological Weapons. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 65 (1), pp. 261-270;
  • Unger, S., 1994. Controlling Technology. 2nd edition, New York: Wiley, chapter 4;
  • Vesilind, A.P., and Gunn, A.S., 1998. Engineering, Ethics, and the Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chapter 3.[L];
  • Walzer, M., 2006. Just and Unjust Wars. 4th edition, New York: Basic Books.

Ethics and archaeology

  • Scarre, G., 2003. Archaeology and Respect for the Dead. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 20 (3), pp. 237–249;
  • Scarre, C., and Scarre, F., eds. 2006. The Ethics of Archaeology: Philosophical Perspectives on Archaeological Practice. Cambridge: CUP;
  • Wylie, A., 2002. Thinking from Things: Essays in the Philosophy of Archaeology. Berkeley: University of California Press. Especially Part 5.

Environment and sustainability

  • Benson, J., 2000. Environmental Ethics: An introduction with readings. London: Routledge;
  • Singer, P., 1993. Practical Ethics. 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chapter 10;
  • Whitby, B., 1996. Reflections on artificial intelligence: the legal, moral and ethical dimensions. Bristol: Intellect. [L].

Safety and risk

  • Hansson, S. O., 2003. Ethical Criteria of Risk Acceptance. Erkenntis 59, pp. 291-309;
  • Harris, C., Pritchard, M., and Rabins, H., 1995. Engineering Ethics: Concepts & Cases. New York: Wadsworth, chapter 8;
  • Kneese, A.V., Ben-David, S., and Schulze, W.D., 1982. The Ethical Foundations of Benefit-Cost Analysis Techniques. In: MacLean, D., and Brown, P., eds. Energy and the Future. Totowa, NJ: Rowman & Littlefield;
  • MacLean, D., ed. 1986. Values at Risk. Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Allanheld;
  • Parfit, D., 1983 The Further Future: The Discount Rate. In: MacLean, D., and Brown, P., eds. Energy and the Future. Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield. pp. 31–7;
  • Rescher, N., 1983. Risk: A Philosophical Introduction. Washington DC: University Press of America.

Safety at work

  • Ridley, J., and Channing, J., 2003. Safety at Work. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. [L];
  • St John Holt, A., 1993. Principles of Health and Safety at Work. Wigston, Leicestershire: IOSH services. [L];
  • The IET’s factfile on Health and safety.

Ethics and gender

  • Gilligan, C., 1982. In a Different Voice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Conflicts of interest

  • Martin, M., and Schinzinger, R., 2000. Introduction to Engineering Ethics. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 149-156. [L].

Conscience

  • Bennett, J., 1974. The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn. Philosophy, 49, pp. 123-134.

Culpable ignorance

  • Smith, H., 1983. Culpable Ignorance. Philosophical Review, 92(4), pp. 543-571.

Duty to employers

  • Baier, K., 1984. Duties to One's Employer. In: Regan, T., ed. Just Business. New York: Random House. pp. 60-99;
  • Harris, C., Pritchard, M., and Rabins, H., 1995. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. New York: Wadsworth;
  • Scrag, B., 2001. The Moral Significance of Employee Loyalty. Business Ethics Quarterly, 11 (1), pp. 41-66. [L] via EBSCO;
  • Whitbeck, C., 1998. Ethics in Engineering Practice & Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chapter 5. [L].

Honesty

  • Martin, M., and Schinzinger, R., 1989. Ethics in Engineering. 4th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, chapter 7. [L].

Integrity

  • Calhoun, C., 1995. Standing for Something. Journal of Philosophy, XCII, pp. 235-260;
  • McFall, L., 1987. Integrity. Ethics, 98, pp. 5-20;
  • Montefiore, A., and Vines, D., eds. 1999. Integrity: in the private and public domains. London: Routledge;
  • Smart, J.J.C., and Williams, B., 1973. Utilitarianism: For & Against. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 93-118;
  • Taylor, G., 1981. Integrity. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, S55, pp. 143-159.

Justice and Disability

  • Becker, L.C., 2005. Reciprocity, Justice, and Disability. Ethics, 116, pp. 9-39.

Moral relativism

  • Benn, P., 1998. Ethics. London: Routledge, chapter 1
  • Sommers, C., and Sommers, F., 2001. Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, chapter 3.

Promise-keeping

  • Kagan, S., 1998. Normative Ethics. Boulder, CO: Westview, pp. 116-125
  • Kraut, R., 2007. What is Good and Why: The Ethics of Well-Being. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, pp. 215-224.

Resource allocation

  • Harris, J., 2006. The Value of Life. In: Kuhse, H., and Singer, P., eds. Bioethics: An Anthology. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 428-447
  • Lockwood, M., 2006. Quality of Life and Resource Allocation. In: Kuhse, H., and Singer, P., eds. Bioethics: An Anthology. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 451-464.

Trust

  • Baier, A., 1986. Trust and Anti-trust. Ethics, 96, pp. 231–60
  • Gambetta, D., ed. 1988. Trust: Making and Breaking Cooperative Relations. New York: Blackwell.

Whistleblowing/professional duty

  • Martin, M., and Schinzinger, R., 1989. Ethics in Engineering. 4th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, chapter 6. [L]
  • Whitbeck, C., 1998. Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chapter 3. [L]

Useful websites

Newspaper articles

Online publications

 

Downloadable publications