Kant and Mill have different positions on whether it is morally permissible to t
ID: 1711687 • Letter: K
Question
Kant and Mill have different positions on whether it is morally permissible to tell a falsehood. Kant argues that is never permissible to tell a lie, because one has a perfect duty to others to be truthful. Therefore, lying violates the moral law because it cannot, as a rule, be made into a universal law that everyone else could follow. By contrast, Mill can at least envision the possibility that telling a falsehood could have the best consequences, in cases where the most happiness for the most people is the outcome. Although a rule utilitarian might say that the rule against lying is, in general, the best kind of moral rule that promotes utility, still one might think of cases where lying has morally good outcomes.
Give an example of an engineering student confronting an ethical dilemma whether they should lie or not, based on the contrasting views of Kant and Mill on the moral permissibility of such an act. Describe in some detail the ethical dilemma whether she should tell a falsehood, and then use material from both Kant and Mill's readings to show what the moral options are in that dilemma, as well as how you would resolve it.
Explanation / Answer
Ethical dilemma in engineering perspective -
Truth telling is a moral duty that imposes an obligation to tell the truth even though one's personal ends may be better served by lying.
An example confronting an ethical dilemma by engineers is public safety.
Let us consider and example of a 7 story tower cantilevered on 9-story stilts and currently occupied by the end users.
It incorporated mass damper, designed to code requirements to withstand perpendicular winds and built with bracing structure bolted joints (instead of welded, as designed).
An engineering student asked about quartering winds and the tower owner turned to consultants and did calculations.They found load limit would be exceeded by quartering winds occuring every 16 years.The bolted joints should have been welded as per design to prevent the load being exceeded by quartering winds.
Ethical dilemma - Should the truth about false execution to be highlighted to the end users, shareholders, insurers etc and create havoc with the end user who are using the towers.
or
The issue to be sorted out or settled without being informed to end users or shareholders or insurers by welding the bolted joints as per the design which will sort out the issues.
Ethical dilemma - If the issue has been brought forward to the public it will have a negative impact on the company and construction team who executed the work causing major setback to their future business and job security.
If the issue was kept on hide there might be more such errors in future projects which might effect human life at higher level causing loss of men and materials at higher levels.
Solution - As an ethical principle this issue has to be brought up and informed to end users but immediate solutions has to be provided to rectify and action on the same to be taken immediatley to prevent any future catastrophe.This issue might have effect on one's personal ends who were involved in execution but this effect might be less compared to future major catastrophe which might have occured due to hiding and which might effect one's personal ends at critical level.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.