What are the rights and duties of engineers in the social contract?

Because the work of engineers affects everyone in the general public in both minor and major ways, engineers have several rights and duties that come with the profession. This is what can be referred to as a social contract between engineers and the general public. Here I will elaborate on my version of what a social contract should consist of.

I will address the various duties engineers have within a hypothetical social contract with the public. Engineers have a duty to reasonably ensure the well-being of the individuals who come into contact or use their technologies. This care for the public's well being can come in many forms. One example is a concern for safety. For example, when designing a technology one should prioritize the idea of doing no harm or not exposing the public to unreasonable dangers even if there might be some benefit. "This is, broadly, just another way of stating the same commitment to public welfare, but it narrows the focus a little bit by emphasizing avoiding harm over (for instance) doing good. When we have a special concern for safety, we are most interested in ensuring our products and projects don’t impose unacceptable risks on the public." (p.23 Schultz-Bergin, The Primacy of the Public)  Another duty of an engineer is to adhere to the standard of care. This means that an engineer should at minimum, provide a level of service that is considered to be average. "The standard of care is defined as “that level or quality of service ordinarily provided by other normally competent practitioners of good standing in that field, contemporaneously providing similar services in the same locality and under the same circumstances.” (P. 24 Schultz-Bergin) Finally, the last duty I will present is the duty to sound the alarm if the public is at risk. If and engineer is aware of a problem with a technology they are developing that can potentially create great harm to the public, an he or she has the responsibility to the public to be a whistleblower.  "In general, whistleblowing involves going outside standard communication channels to inform relevant authorities of potential harm or wrongdoing." (p.24 Schultz-Bergin) Disastrous consequences such as the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, could have been prevented if engineers spoke up about the apparent issues. Thus, I have presented my idea of a social contract between engineers and the public.

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