Engineering – between can and ought The responsibility for technology

Abstract

Responsibility is a moral and ethical duty for engineers that must be faced constantly, whether, for instance, in the loss of the lives of seven astronauts in the 'Challenger' disaster or the oil pollution caused by an inshore shipping accident. Is the responsibility a personal one, that of a group, or something that falls on the corporation? These aspects are fully discussed and distinguished in terms of action, task, and universal moral responsibilities. Problems arise in assigning responsibility and 16 priority rules are proposed as a solution to this all important problem.