Biomedical Ethics for Engineers: Ethics and Decision Making in Biomedical and Biosystem Engineering
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Overview
Biomedical Ethics for Engineers provides biomedical engineers with a new set of tools and an understanding that the application of ethical measures will seldom reach consensus even among fellow engineers and scientists. The solutions are never completely technical, so the engineer must continue to improve the means of incorporating a wide array of societal perspectives, without sacrificing sound science and good design principles.Dan Vallero understands that engineering is a profession that profoundly affects the quality of life from the subcellular and nano to the planetary scale. Protecting and enhancing life is the essence of ethics; thus every engineer and design professional needs a foundation in bioethics. In high-profile emerging fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology and green engineering, public concerns and attitudes become especially crucial factors given the inherent uncertainties and high stakes involved. Ethics thus means more than a commitment to abide by professional norms of conduct. This book discusses the full suite of emerging biomedical and environmental issues that must be addressed by engineers and scientists within a global and societal context. In addition it gives technical professionals tools to recognize and address bioethical questions and illustrates that an understanding of the application of these measures will seldom reach consensus even among fellow engineers and scientists.
· Working tool for biomedical engineers in the new age of technology
· Numerous case studies to illustrate the direct application of ethical techniques and standards
· Ancillary materials available online for easy integration into any academic program
Synopsis
When is an action morally permissible and what kinds of behavior are morally obligatory? What must a professional do to be trusted? What is the role of values in bioethical decisions? What does it mean to be a good engineer? Is research using human pluripotent stem cells ethical?
All engineers, whether working or studying directly in the biomedical or a complementary engineering field, are certain to face challenging bioethical challenges such these. Biomedical Ethics for Engineers addresses the need for engineers to develop an understanding of the impact of engineering solutions from the individual engineer’s professional perspective, as well as within the global and societal context.
Key features:
• Meets the needs of students taking upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in professional ethics, risk assessment, and specific ethics courses in engineering, environmental science, medicine and technology
• Provides a proactive set of approaches that apply deductive and intuitive reasoning to engineering decision making within the framework of professional ethics
• Presented in the language and the context of the engineer and other science and design professionals, with issues treated from a design and problem-solving perspective
• Instead of the traditional top-down approach of learning the philosophical basis first and then judging cases accordingly, cases are presented as engineering problems, with solutions determined by design where possible and appropriate
• Supported throughout by case studies and worked examples that illustrate the direct application of ethical techniques and standards, plus frequent discussion points to stimulate debate
• Includes chapter exercises and assignments, with separate Instructor’s Manual available from http//textbooks.elsevier.com
Dr. Daniel Vallero has led the establishment of the Engineering Ethics program at Duke University. This popular and innovative program introduces students to the complex relationships between science, technology and societal demands on the engineer.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Anji Wall, PhD(Saint Louis University)
Description:This book, designed for teaching ethics to engineering students, is written in a conversational style, seamlessly integrating illustrative examples and hypothetical cases with ethical theories.
Purpose:The purpose, the author states, is to "consider life issues from the perspective of the engineer, written in the way that engineers think." This approach is both unique and appropriate. The author achieves his goal by presenting much of the material using graphs and equations.
Audience:As an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Ethics at Duke University, the author is a fitting candidate to write this text for engineering students.
Features:This book covers basic ethical and philosophical theories and then moves on to issues faced by biomedical and biosystems engineers, including stem cell research, human enhancement, professionalism, conflicts of interest, risk assessment, device failure, justice, and sustainability. The author incorporates "Thought Experiments" and "Teachable Moments" into the text, which provide opportunities to discuss issues and cases in the classroom. The questions provided after the cases and the historical examples offer guidance for classroom discussion. The quotations interspersed throughout the book range from Arthur Caplan to Kip from "Napoleon Dynamite," provoking thought in some instances, and comic relief in others. The epilogue supplies a valuable list of suggested readings for further study as well as useful websites. The appendixes provide engineering codes of ethics as a quick reference for students and teachers. The book also contains a glossary of terms and name and subject indexes.
Assessment:Although the book provides valuable information and examples, the author's own point of view on some topics, such as abortion, is readily apparent and the presentation in these cases is one-sided. Overall, this is a well-structured text for engineering ethics, written in a style that takes into account the way in which engineering students think and learn.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Anji Wall, PhD(Saint Louis University)Description: This book, designed for teaching ethics to engineering students, is written in a conversational style, seamlessly integrating illustrative examples and hypothetical cases with ethical theories.
Purpose: The purpose, the author states, is to "consider life issues from the perspective of the engineer, written in the way that engineers think." This approach is both unique and appropriate. The author achieves his goal by presenting much of the material using graphs and equations.
Audience: As an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Ethics at Duke University, the author is a fitting candidate to write this text for engineering students.
Features: This book covers basic ethical and philosophical theories and then moves on to issues faced by biomedical and biosystems engineers, including stem cell research, human enhancement, professionalism, conflicts of interest, risk assessment, device failure, justice, and sustainability. The author incorporates "Thought Experiments" and "Teachable Moments" into the text, which provide opportunities to discuss issues and cases in the classroom. The questions provided after the cases and the historical examples offer guidance for classroom discussion. The quotations interspersed throughout the book range from Arthur Caplan to Kip from "Napoleon Dynamite," provoking thought in some instances, and comic relief in others. The epilogue supplies a valuable list of suggested readings for further study as well as useful websites. The appendixes provide engineering codes of ethics as a quick reference for students and teachers. The book also contains a glossary of terms and name and subject indexes.
Assessment: Although the book provides valuable information and examples, the author's own point of view on some topics, such as abortion, is readily apparent and the presentation in these cases is one-sided. Overall, this is a well-structured text for engineering ethics, written in a style that takes into account the way in which engineering students think and learn.
From the Publisher
'this is a well-structured text for engineering ethics, written in a style that takes into account the way in which engineering students think and learn'Anji Wall, St. Louis University Center for Health Care Ethics, in DOODY'S BOOK REVIEWS