Obligation-Conflict Resolution
Case 67-10 (1967) · Criticism of Engineering in Products
Professional obligations conflict, and the board applies no fixed rule for which one wins.
Each resolution is recorded as three edges:
competesWith (the tension),
prevailsOver (the obligation the board allowed to win in this case), and
defeasibleUnder (the situation under which the yielding obligation gives way).
The same tension is then traced across comparable cases, where its resolution shifts with context.
Hover any obligation or state to see its definition; click to open it in OntServe.
How this case resolved it
No obligation was overridden in this case: the board resolved the apparent tension without defeat, as recorded below.
Resolved without defeat
The board resolved the apparent tension here by setting a duty's boundary (specification) or by finding no genuine conflict on the facts (dissolution), rather than by allowing one obligation to prevail over another.
dissolution
Analytical conclusion 1: The case resolves the tension between Public Welfare in P...
Given that Engineer A deliberately avoided identifying his employer or its products, the board concluded that no true conflict existed between public welfare advocacy and employer loyalty, treating the former as categorically protected in the absence of a direct employer link.
dissolution
Analytical conclusion 3: Regarding Q104: Engineer A's role as a spokesman for the...
Since Engineer A's spokesman role stayed at the level of general industry standards and never touched his employer's specific products or information, the Board found no conflict of interest existed between his civic advocacy and his duty as a faithful agent.
What the board concluded
- Engineer A was not in violation of the Code of Ethics.
- Engineer B was in violation of the Code of Ethics.
Recorded violations:
Discharge Threat violates Engineer B Public Welfare Duty