Question

According to Gotterbarn some of the criticism leveled against professional codes might be eliminated if we think of them as serving three important, but distinct, functions. Name and discuss them.

Answer 1

Gotterbarn has suggested that some criticism leveled against professional codes might be eliminated if we think of them as serving three important, but distinct, functions (pg. 109):
Codes of ethics are "aspirational," because they often serve as mission statements for the profession and can thus provide vision and objectives.
Codes of conduct address the professional's attitude and behavior. (Violations can range from warnings to exclusion from practicing a profession.)
Codes of practice relate to operational activities within a profession. (Violations may also involve legal action.)

With respect to the second major criticism of professional codes, Gotterbarn points out that SECEPP (the IEEE-CS/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice) has a hierarchy of principles. This enables engineers to prioritize their roles and responsibilities and to determine which ones are overriding when two or more conflict. For example, the SECEPP states that concern for the health, safety, and welfare of the public is primary in all ethical judgments.

When software engineers and their teams are responsible for developing safety-critical systems, they have special moral responsibilities because they have significant opportunities to (a) do good or cause harm, (b) enable others to do good or cause harm, and/or (c) influence others to do good or cause harm.