ABSTRACT
Ethics education is typically included in mechanical and aerospace engineering programs worldwide. The authors of this chapter argue that ethics education must purposefully engage students in mechanical and aerospace engineering to critically analyze the sociotechnical impacts of their fields and develop the critical consciousness necessary to facilitate emancipatory outcomes and help achieve social justice. This chapter employs a critical perspective to present and dissect four applications of mechanical and aerospace engineering: the military-industrial complex, automation, sustainability efforts, and humanitarian engineering. The authors present critical systemic analyses of these applications and provide examples that students can engage with to help them better understand the macro-ethical implications of these fields. The chapter provides guidance for educators wanting to apply a similarly critical approach to other applications. The authors showcase existing examples of mechanical or aerospace engineering education to demonstrate commitment to social justice and the empowerment of marginalized communities.
