Ethics and Engineering

The first part of this course completely coincides with the WM320TU course. The WM329TU course is the WM320TU course plus the writing of an essay. Please check the WM320TU Brightspace for all relevant information about lectures, work sessions, exam, and the essay.

You will explore the ethical and social aspects and problems related to technology and to your future work as professional or manager in the design, development, management or control of technology. You will be introduced to and make exercises with a range of relevant aspects and concepts, including professional codes, philosophical ethics, individual and collective responsibilities, value pluralism and relativism, responsibility within organisations, responsible conduct of companies and the role of law. You will analyse legal, political and organisational backgrounds to existing and emerging ethical and social problems of technology, and you will explore possibilities for resolving, diminishing or preventing these problems.

50%: grade for the participation in the course WM0320TU, which consists of a written exam (60%, individual grade), presentation, and active participation during the working group sessions (40%, same grade for all members of a presentation group).

In order to pass the WM0320 part of the course, a minimal grade of 5.5 should be obtained *both* in the exam *and* in the working group, and the average grade should be higher than 5.75.

These partial grades are only valid for 1 academic year, meaning that if one or both are not passed during resit, both assessments need to be retaken the following academic year.

50%: grade of the essay, which is written individually (all steps in the essay writing procedure need to be followed).

The grade of the essay (50%) conjoined with the grade of the WM0320TU part (50%) must be higher than 5.75.

Only if the threshold is not met will it be possible to revise and resubmit the essay.

It is not possible to retake the essay in another semester.