The mining engineer, moral luck, and professional accountability

Science and Engineering Ethics

Volumn 4, Issue 4, 1998, Pages 437-456

  Haliburton, Rachel F C ^a   Kazakidis, Vassilios N ^b  

^a Universite of Sudbury   (Canada)

^b Dias Engineering Inc   (Canada)

Author keywords

Blameworthiness; Mining engineering; Moral luck; Professional accountability; Responsibility

Indexed keywords

EID: 0347053993     PISSN: 13533452     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s11948-998-0038-6     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. We will use the pronoun "he" throughout this paper, since the vast majority of mining engineers are men.
2. "Improving Ground Stability and Mine Rescue: The Report of the Provincial Inquiry into Ground Control and Emergency Preparedness in Ontario Mines" (1986) Ontario Government Publications, p. 17.
3. "Improving Ground Stability..." (1986), p. 19.
4. "Improving Ground Stability ..." (1986), p. 20.
5. Recently, it has been suggested that this phenomenon be renamed, perhaps in an attempt to create the impression that this phenomenon is less prevalent and hazardous than it is. We do not think that a "cosmetic" change of this sort will do anything to alleviate the problem and we fear that a possible consequence of such a change is that less money and time may be spent on efforts to reduce the rockburst hazard. If this is the case, a cosmetic change of this sort may not only not be helpful, but may be actually harmful
6. "Improving Ground Stability ..." (1986), p. 12.
7. Ridler, Jim (1997) Accountability: At the Core of Professional Engineering, Engineering Dimensions (Jan/Feb), p. 40.
8. Ridler, J. (1997), p .40.
9. Ridler, J. (1997), p. 40.
10. Ridler, J. (1997), pp. 40-1.
11. Williams, Bernard (1981) "Moral Luck": in Moral Luck, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, p. 20.
12. Williams, B (1981), p. 21.
13. Williams, B (1981), p. 21.
14. Williams, B (1981), p. 21.
15. Williams, B (1981), p. 22.
16. Williams, B (1981), p. 39.
17. Nagel, Thomas (1971) "Moral Luck", in Mortal Questions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, p. 28.
18. Nagel, T. (1971), p. 26.
19. Nagel, T. (1971), p. 34.
20. Nagel, T. (1971), p. 34.
21. Nagel, T. (1971), p. 35.
22. Nagel, T. (1971), p. 36.
23. Nagel, T. (1971), p. 37.
24. Nagel, T. (1971), p. 37.
25. It seems fair to hold people morally blameworthy for only those things which lie within their control. As we have noted, while we can't always predict the consequences of our actions, we can control our intentions, and the actions they give rise to. The mining engineer is not causally responsible for a rockburst occurance - it didn't happen as a direct result of his actions or decisions - and so should not be considered morally blameworthy for the injuries or fatalities such events can cause in the absence of any professional failure on his part.
26. Richards, Norvin (1986) Luck and Desert, Mind, Vol. XCV, No. 378 (April): p. 199.
27. Richards, N. (1986), p. 199.
28. Richards, N. (1986), p. 199.
29. Richards, N. (1986), p. 199.
30. Richards, N. (1986), pp. 200-1.
31. Richards, N. (1986), p. 204.
32. Before we begin our examination of Strawson's essay, we must note that it is very complex, and that there are certain aspects of it which we will not even pretend to discuss. His intention in this paper is to examine the thesis of determinism, to see if those he calls the "optimists" and those he calls the "pessimists" can be brought together. The pessimists assert that if the thesis is true, our concepts of moral responsibility and obligation are unjustified. The optimists, on the other hand, claim that even if determinism is true, our practice of expressing moral approval and condemnation are not endangered in the least. We shall not discuss the problem of determinism here, nor address the question of whether Strawson's attempted reconciliation succeeds; we will, instead, focus on the means by which he attempts to bring this reconciliation about.
33. Strawson, P. F. (1974) "Freedom and Resentment", in Freedom and Resentment and Other Essays, Methuen & Co., Ltd., London, p. 4.
34. Strawson, P. (1974), p. 5.
35. Strawson, P. (1974), p. 5.
36. Strawson, P. (1974), p. 14.
37. Strawson, P. (1974), p. 14.
38. Strawson, P. (1974), p. 21.
39. It is for this reason, in part, that it is important that the mining industry not replace professional mining engineers with less highly trained technicians, who will not be bound by the explicit ethical obligations that the engineer is bound by.
40. Hollis and Howe draw a similar conclusion when they consider the moral responsibilities of the professional social worker. See, Hollis, Martin & Howe, David (1987) Moral Risks in Social Work, Journal of Applied Philosophy 4/2: 132.