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2014 | OriginalPaper | Buchkapitel

3. Engineering for Peace

verfasst von : W. Richard Bowen

Erschienen in: Engineering Ethics

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

The greatest tragedy of contemporary engineering is the design, manufacture and use of a great diversity of devastating and indiscriminate weapons. Challenging this grave misuse of engineering should be a very high priority for contemporary engineers. A re-evaluation of the contribution of engineering to war and peace will be proposed, building on the analysis of engineering as a practice. This will begin with the incorporation of reliable empirical evidence into an assessment of ‘just war’ theory. Data shows that the victims of recent major wars have been mostly, often overwhelmingly, civilians: there is little evidence of discrimination and proportionality. This situation is so dire as to create for engineers an obligation of professional capabilities to find better use for their skills in the promotion of peace. Furthermore, the requirement of last resort in any commencement of war, a key aspect of ‘just war’ theory, is especially demanding for engineers, for they possess the knowledge and skills to ameliorate many of the root causes of conflict. Indeed, it is to the amelioration of the root causes of conflict that engineers should direct their attention and efforts. It will be concluded that the logical development of such a reprioritisation is a commitment to use engineering knowledge and skills in active peacemaking—just engineering.

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Fußnoten
1
A cluster munition is a means of delivering and scattering a large number of explosive submunitions (bomblets). A single cluster munition may scatter submunitions over an area of 1 km2. The number of submuntions delivered may be enormous: during the 1991 US operation ‘Desert Storm’ in Iraq it is estimated that 11,000,000 were fired from rockets, of which 220,248 were fired in the first 5 min [3].
 
2
These figures represent minimum expenditures as much spending in support of military activities is hidden within civilian budgets.
 
3
Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), Convention on the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons and on their destruction; Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction; Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).
 
4
Proponents of such technology may refer to ‘autonomous’ systems able to make ‘decisions’. Such terminology seems intended to imply mind-like properties, possibly to distract from the responsibility of manufacturers and operators. However, such ‘autonomous’ drones remain machines.
 
5
Ideologically-inspired terrorism is not included in this list of root causes of major conflicts. Whilst the Group recognises that terrorism represents a threat to communities, it does not regard it as a major strategic threat at present. Furthermore, it is particularly important to note that key experts regard the use of conventional military force to address the threat of terrorism as counter-productive. Thus, the Director General of the UK security service MI5 between 2002 and 2007 has advised that ‘the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan radicalised parts of a generation of Muslims who saw the military actions as an "attack on Islam"…Arguably, we gave Osama bin Ladin his Iraqi jihad’ [32]. At the same time, the Chief of the UK Defence Staff regarded military victory against al-Qa'ida and the Taliban as not possible [33].
 
6
The costs of universal provision of electricity are compared to military expenditure in Chap.​ 5.
 
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Metadaten
Titel
Engineering for Peace
verfasst von
W. Richard Bowen
Copyright-Jahr
2014
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04096-7_3