ENGINEERING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HUMAN WELLBEING

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The issue of human wellbeing is among the hotly debated topics, with divergent views as to what it entails or how it is defined. In all the professions, it is understood that the ultimate goal of economic and social development is to improve the lives of people, or what is generally regarded as well-being. Human wellbeing is often a fancy term that talks about the health of people and the communities and it touches on a continuum of aspects of human life. These aspects include health, happiness- that is, social, economic, ecological, as well as the cultural aspects (Introduction to Human Wellbeing: What is Human Wellbeing? n.d.). In engineering, it is also agreed that the engineering practices have an ultimate goal of impacting positively on the aspects of human life. According to the engineering profession, wellbeing often refers to the possession of material conveniences and comforts as are listed the list of NAE of the 20 greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century.
Do engineers have a responsibility towards human wellbeing? As mentioned above, all professions and this includes engineering do have roles and responsibilities towards human wellbeing. Regardless of the definition adopted, all professional work to improve the lives of people in any of the various aspects. For engineers, they add value in economic terms, as well as social-wise, to the lives of people. When we measure wellbeing in terms of good and safe housing, then the engineers have a responsibility to ensure they deliver exactly that. This is the reason that professions establish practice ethics, often enforced and measured in terms of adherence to various codes. In engineering, ethics are applied and closely monitored by the various bodies and boards. According to Harris (2015), engineering codes, as well as other authoritative engineering sources, assert that engineering promotes wellbeing, even though these have not defined the term wellbeing. He recognized the various approaches and attempts at defining the term wellbeing.
One approach for interpreting the engineering and its relation to wellbeing is the capability approach, where it is posited that technology ought to enhance the capabilities of people using those technologies in an attempt to achieve a life of their choice (Harris, 2015). It is simply interpreted that engineers ought to produce works that enhance the improvement of life and living standards. This is all about ethics in engineering, and it entails following rules and guidelines that prevent harm to public life. It is all about the engineers having virtues that include empathy and compassion in their day to day practices.
Engineers are responsible for creating much of the technology we use today (Harris, Pritchard, & Rabins, 2009). This is to imply that, therefore, that the engineers are responsible for whatever the technology brings with it. The engineers have a responsibility towards ensuring that the technologies they create do not harm people directly or indirectly. For example, the negative impacts of technology on the environment harms the welfare of people indirectly. Technology causing harm health-wise harms the wellbeing of people directly. Ethics in engineering, as such, dictate that the engineers should have an ultimate objective of ensuring wellbeing in their day to day endeavors. They should give a consideration of the negative impacts of their technological and other creations
Engineers and scientists are always among the first people to recognize the many threats to human health and human safety. They are in most cases engaged in scientific research that will identify gaps in human lives and also come up with solutions to human problems. A good example given by Whitbeck (2011) is the adoption of automobile as a mode of transport. This had very many social and economic impacts that may include growth of economies, raised living standards, and development of other infrastructure. However, the engineers seemed like they did not concern themselves with the negative side of the decision that might include the need to control technology. Many users of these technologies do not know much about them and how to handle them, and this has in most cases resulted to harm. Owing to this, there has been the recognition that the engineers ought to take it as their responsibility to make sure that their creations do not harm people. They also need to educate people on the usage of these technologies to minimize harm incidences to people (Whitbeck, 2011).
In conclusion, the engineers do have a responsibility towards the human wellbeing. Wellbeing has many definitions, but the most important this is for the engineers to learn that there ethical practices that are required of them that will ensure that people are protected from harm resulting from the practices of the profession. Apart from avoiding harm to people, they are also responsible for ensuring that the wellbeing is improved through things that increase the value of life and the communities. That is to say that the engineers are responsible, in their own way, of the happiness, health, and safety of the people and the entire societies.