This is the final lesson of class! We’ve covered a lot of material. We started with some big philosophical issues concerning human psychology, technology, and society. We considered the details of several ethical theories, and we’ve applied them to dozens of cases and examples from both the history and the future of engineering. And we’ve looked at all these issues with a eye towards our professional responsibilities as future engineers and our integrity as persons.

For your final assignment, I’d like you to write one last post of normal length reflecting on the material we’ve learned in class. You might go back to your introduction on the first week to see your expectations then. What have you learned about Engineering Ethics that you didn’t appreciate when this class started? What lessons or examples stood out to you? How will this course impact your professional life, if at all?

Imagine talking to someone skeptical that Engineering Ethics is worth the time and resources. Why bother teaching ethics when people will lie, cheat, and steal for their own benefit anyway? Corporations get away with their crimes with a slap on the wrist. The most violent and vicious seem to win far more often than chance. The skeptic would argue that students and businesses should waste far less time and effort thinking about ethics, because it ultimately doesn’t do them any good. How would you respond to the skeptic? Is Engineering Ethics worth the effort?