Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Shanthakumar G. C
Professor, Dept.of. Mechanical Engg. , NCERC, Pampady
Abstract
Value education to prevent erosion of values in public life has been a matter of concern,
since independence. The values embedded in the Indian philosophy, cultural heritage and
literature needs to be nurtured. To nurture the core universal values like truth, peace, love,
righteous conduct and nonviolence in students of technical education, it is necessary to
include the subject on Human values and Ethics in the curricula of university. This
paper endeavors to call the attention of the declining moral situation in students of
technical education and out lined the important role of the subject on human values and
ethics needs to play to raise the human value in engineering students. Also this paper
deals with basic definition of values, kinds of values, definition of ethics. Imparting these
in technical education.
Keywords: Values, Ethics, Morale, Technical Education
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Introduction
The rapid progress in science and technology has been accompanied by alarming in
increase in value degradation all over the world, as manifested in exacerbation of
maladies like economical imbalance, increase in inequality, crime and violence. It is
therefore, become imperative to sensitise the youth, especially those studying in technical
institutions, towards this issue. This need gets further strengthened by the strong linkages
between the nature of the technological development and the value orientation of a
society. Our technocrats are largely obvious of these linkages since the role of human
values in shaping the developmental path of a society rarely finds a place in the technical
education. Consequently, on one hand they invariably contribute to strengthening of the
materialistic worldview, with all ill effects, and on other hand their own personal
development remains stunted.
There is, thus an urgent need to orient our education such that the essential
complimentarily of knowledge and wisdom can be appreciated by our youth and they
give us much emphasis to imbibing universal human values as to acquiring skills.
Values are ideals, beliefs or norms, which a society or the large majority as a society
member holds. Values are the part and parcel of the philosophy of a nation and that of its
educational system. Values are guiding principles of life, which are conductive to ones
physical, social and mental health. Value also signifies the quality of an individual or
thing, which makes that individual or thing important, respectable and useful. [1]
Fundamental principles
Engineers uphold and advance the integrity honour and dignity of the engineering
profession by
1. Using their knowledge and skills for the enhancement of the human welfare
2. Being honest and impartial and serving fidelity of the public, their employers and
clients
environment and satisfaction resulting from complying with norms of the environment,
shape justified human behavior.
Classification of values
Values can be classified into three categories on the basis of its nature namely biological
value, intrinsic value and instrumental value. Biological values led to philosophy of
naturalism, intrinsic values lead to idealism and instrumental values lead to pragmatism.
Various kinds of values are classified according to their specifications.
1. Aesthetic value in accordance with arts, dancing, painting, dramatization, music,
etc.
2. Spiritual values concerning spirit as opposed to matter, divine matters and soul.
3. Moral values relating to ethics
4. Social values concerning society and its well being.
To make awareness in values of students the following major values should be imparted.
[4]
1. Respect
The traditional society enjoyed people to respect elders, teachers and others, but
youth under the illusion of getting modernized and becoming self-independent
show lack of respect.
2. Professionalism
It is a cluster of attitude and values relating to ones role, professional as well as
contributory member of the society. It includes respect; regard norms of
behaviour, self-criticism, open minded and readiness to accept failure and
limitations.
3. Concern for others and also environment
It is pity that human society has evolved: one sees a gradual decrease in concern
both for others and environment. The individual today has no human
considerations for others
4. Character formation
To form a good character qualities like responsibility, self-discipline, and loyal
work ethic; compassion should also be provided.
5. Citizenship
The criteria for a good citizenship, which involves individual rights, justice and
equality, patriotism, attitudes, truth, etc, can be imparted.
6. Moral values
It includes the attitudes, belief skills and behaviour to be good, fair and kind
Ethics in Engineering Education
Ethics
Ethics is the branch of axiology - one of the four major branches of philosophy, alongside
metaphysics, epistemology, and logic - which attempts to understand the nature of
morality; to define what is right from what is wrong. The tradition of ethics is sometimes
called moral philosophy. [5]
Ethics in Science and Engineering
Every social science is trying to establish a number of assumptions about the human. This
is reflected in sciences like anthropology because of the complexities involved in relating
one culture to another, economics because of its role in the distribution of resources,
political science because of its role in allocating power, sociology because of its roots in
the dynamics of groups, law because of its role in codifying ethical constructs like mercy
and punishment, criminology because of its role in rewarding ethical behaviour and
discouraging unethical behaviour, and psychology because of its role in defining,
understanding, and treating unethical behaviour.
Ethics has also been extended to more sciences, such as the biology (as bioethics), and
the ecology (as environmental ethics). As these fields become more complex and deal
with more situations, the application of ethics in those fields can also become more
complex.
Nowadays the extension and application of ethics in the field of engineering is rather
obvious. This extension is inevitable because of the important role that engineering is
playing its role in developing services and goods, which cover many of the needs of
society.
Why Ethics?
The ethical issues that appear in the engineering profession have lead to the necessity of
the early study of ethical aspects in engineering. Obviously the university is the most
proper place for a systematic approach to this very important side of the engineering
profession.
One should be able to identify contemporary situations that would be considered difficult
by the large majority of the professionals. These situations arise when different values
come into conflict. A short list of the various values that can come into conflict includes:
personal development, personal feelings, financial reasons, religion, human rights, law,
social trends, politics, public safety, employment status, national issues, professional
responsibility, commitment to contracts, environment protection, etc.
Implementation of values and ethics in technical education
To create an awareness in the technical community, the skills and human values are
essentially complimentary; and to integrate the training in technical skills seamlessly with
education in human values, in the process paving the way for reorientation of
technological developments for catering to humanistic needs rather than materialistic
needs.
To develop the human values and ethics we need to inculcate the human values and ethics
in engineering students. So this has to be included in the syllabi of engineering course, in
all disciplines. Mahatma Gandhi once said Education means all round drawing out of the
best in child and man-body, mind and spirit. As such education becomes the basis of
Conclusion
This paper is endeavored to call the attention the declining morale situations in the
students of technical education, and outlined the important role of the subject on the
human values and ethics needs to play to rise the human values in engineering students.
The responsibility of providing adequate and effective curricula rests heavily on
universities, because it is only through such an avenue that lasting and effective
improvement in morale values can be achieved through education.
References
1. Environmental studies by Dr.Suresh, K.Dhameja, 3 rd revised edition, 2006-07
S.K.Kataria and sons.
2. Required ethics: Accreditation for the engineering curriculum, J.Eric Schonblom.
3. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Curricular Objectives, Para.
IV.C.2. of "ABET 1993-94 Accreditation Yearbook," p. 61.
4. Essentials of Environment Studies, Dr.K.C.Vashista, Dr.B.K.Bansal, Danpat Rai
Publications New Delhi, First Edition 2004-05.
5. Ethics and Sustainable Development issues in Engineering Education, Madrid, 27
March-2 April 2006.
6. Ethics in and for higher education, Prof. Peter Scott, Kingston University,
United Kingdom. International conference on ethical and Moral Dimensions for
Higher Education and Science in Europe.
7. The role of Industrial Technology in Fostering Industrial Ethics, Dr.Samuel C.
Obi & Dr. Mohan Kim, Sn Jose state University, CA95192-0061.