230721P - ETHICO LEGAL ASPECTS OF APPLICATIONS OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

Presented at the Ethics in Technology session of the 1^st International Conference on Mechanical, Materials, and Production Engineering organized by the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering of the Islamic University of Technology Bangladesh 21-22 July 2023 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard).

ABSTRACT:

• The paper analyses practical applications of engineering technology from the perspective of the primary objectives of the Law (maqasid alshariat). It then discusses the ethical implications of engineering products when they are determined as an unintended side effect of the lifestyles of the family and society. Then it discusses legal liabilities for injuries due to engineering products from the perspective of the principle of injury (qaidat al dharar).

OBJECTIVES OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY:

• Technology is the application of knowledge with the theoretical objective of improving human life and environmental conditions
• In practice, the type of technology developed and the way it is used is dictated by the profit motive of those who invest in its development or to satisfy the ego of the powerful elites who buy and use the technology
• The profit and ego motives interact; the producer is after profit and the user is after ego. Ego fuels hyper-consumerism
• The profit motive has driven technological developments to disturb the balanced social order or destroy the environment

TECHNOLOGY AND THE MAQASID:

• If technology has no moral campus it leads to misery
• Technology must be guided by the higher objectives of the Shari’at to lead to balanced benefits for humans: protect, preserve, and promote diin, life & health, the family, the mind, and resources.
• Hifdh al ddiin: build mosques, air transport to hajj
• Hifdh al nafs: water, housing, and energy
• Hifdh al nasl.
• Hifdh al aql.
• HIfdh al maal.

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TECHNOLOGY FROM THE QUR’AN:

• Daud used metal technology to produce useful products. Surat Saba:10-11 وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ مِنَّا فَضْلًۭا ۖ يَـٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِى مَعَهُۥ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلْحَدِيدَ أَنِ ٱعْمَلْ سَـٰبِغَـٰتٍۢ وَقَدِّرْ فِى ٱلسَّرْدِ ۖ وَٱعْمَلُوا۟ صَـٰلِحًا ۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ
• Dhul al Qarnain used technology to solve people’s problems. Surat Kahf: 90-98 حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۢ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًۭا ٩٠ كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًۭا ٩١ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ٩٢ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًۭا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًۭا ٩٣ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّۭا ٩٤ قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌۭ فَأَعِينُونِى بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا ٩٥ ءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ ٱلْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُوا۟ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارًۭا قَالَ ءَاتُونِىٓ أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًۭا ٩٦ فَمَا ٱسْطَـٰعُوٓا۟ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ لَهُۥ نَقْبًۭا ٩٧ قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَحْمَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى حَقًّۭا ٩٨

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TECHNOLOGY FROM THE QUR’AN: Con’t.

• Pharaon used technology for his pride. Surat al Qisas: 38 وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرِي فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّي صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّي أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ (38)
• People of Salih carved houses out of the rock for pride. Surat Shuara: 149 وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِهِينَ١٤٩    and Surat Hajr: 82 وَكَانُوا يَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا آمِنِينَ. الحجر ٨٢

TECHNOLOGY OF BUILDING HOMES CHANGES LIFESTYLE:

• Traditional buildings separated male and female spheres, modern technology does not
• Traditional buildings separated the external and the internal.
• Traditional buildings emphasize the privacy of the inner house.
• The inner house is more decorated than the outer houses
• Respect for mores of the bisexual society

INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY CHANGES LIFESTYLE:

• Manufacturing technology moved the worker from the home to the factory for the whole day
• Husband and wife spend very little time together
• Children spend more time in school than with their parents
• Family time is limited because of parents working outside and social media
• Hyper-consumerism raises the cost of living forcing both parents to work more hours just to survive

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY AND CONSUMERISM:

• The traditional society produced only what was sufficient and needed and was consumable
• Industrial society using modern technology produced more goods than normal consumption needs
• Surplus production after the Industrial Revolution was the underlying reason for European colonial expansion to find markets and obtain even more raw materials
• Vigorous marketing pushed people to consume more

ENVIRONMENTAL HARM DUE TO MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY:

• Under the principle of injury, qaidat al dharar, we must balance benefits (maslahat) and harms (mafsadat).
• Prevention of harm takes precedence over accrual of benefit.
• Limits to manufacturing technology are an ethical obligation.
• Besides social side effects, there are environmental harms.