Professional virtue and professional self-awareness: a case study in engineering ethics.

Area of Science:

• Philosophy
• Ethics
• Engineering Ethics

Background:

• Aristotle's concept of human flourishing and virtue provides a framework for understanding professional roles.
• Traditional ethics education often lacks a focus on character development and virtue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To articulate an Aristotelian theory of professional virtue.
• To apply this theory to the field of engineering ethics.
• To explore the virtue of professional self-awareness as analogous to practical wisdom (phronesis).

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis drawing on Aristotelian philosophy.
• Application of philosophical concepts to the social role and function of engineering professionals.

Main Results:

• A model for analyzing professional virtues based on Aristotle's function argument.
• The virtuous professional is equated with the successful professional.
• Professional self-awareness is identified as a key virtue.

Conclusions:

• An Aristotelian virtue ethics approach offers a robust framework for professional ethics.
• This approach can enrich ethics pedagogy and foster professional pride and responsibility.
• Virtue ethics provides a model for defining the essential character and function of professionals.