ABSTRACT
Codes of ethics have a significant place in the history of the engineering profession, but in their present form they have perhaps outlived their usefulness. A survey on hypothetical cases in engineering ethics conducted by the journal Chemical Engineering was introduced by the statement that "there are written codes of ethics, but they are often of little value." Occupational groups aspiring to professional status have historically made one of their foremost concerns the development of a code of ethics. The engineering profession, and many other groups aspiring to professional status during the second half of the nineteenth century, recognized the need for a code of ethics. In order to clarify the problems inherent in the engineering codes of ethics, the motivations at work in giving the codes their current form need to be recognized. When engineering was in its infancy as a profession, models available for emulation were those provided by traditional professions of law, theology, and medicine.
