Islamic alternatives to the ethical maxims of modern technology from the perspective of Mario Bunge

Abstract Mario Bunge argues that the ethics of modern technology are guided by five maxims. He believes that these maxims comprise the core of the ethics of the technology that has prevailed in all industrial societies. They justify the unlimited exploitation of natural and social resources and ignore the dark side of technology. These maxims include the following: Man is separate from and more valuable than nature; man has the right (or even the duty) to subdue nature to his own benefit; man has no responsibility toward nature; the ultimate task of technology is the fullest exploitation of natural and human resources; technologists and technicians are morally irresponsible. He critically formulated these principles in 1979, and today all but one of them have been amended in technology-related ethical guidelines and codes. Although the rejection of these cases is theoretically agreed upon by all, different perspectives offer different alternatives. In the present article, by referring to Quranic verses and the ideas of Muslim thinkers, it is attempted to present five maxims, contrasting these maxims, based on which the ethics of technology are built.