In most European countries engineering ethics is increasingly conceived as an interdisciplinary reflection at the crossroads of professional ethics, the human and social sciences, and the philosophy of technology (especially the ethics of technology). This is in marked contrast with the situation in the United States, where engineering ethics is a form of professional ethics.

Europe nevertheless includes countries with diverse cultural, juridical, professional, and educational traditions of engineering, something that has promoted efforts within the European Union to harmonize technical education, including its nontechnical requirements in the humanities, social sciences, and professional ethics. European integration has further required the development of professional guidelines for the mutual recognition of diplomas and titles. Thus any comparison between engineering ethics in Europe and in the United States cannot ignore a diversity of professional traditions. Engineering ethics in Europe requires a contextualist approach referencing the perceptions of...