Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry

Submitted to:

Instructor Mr. James Ross, B.A., M.A.

CPST 3030 Engineering in Society II

Author:
Oguz Avci B00572497

Department of Civil and Resource Engineering

Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S., Canada

Published: April 4th 2016

 Oguz Avci - B00572497 |2

Executive Summary:
To understand the ethical questioning of the engineers actions in the weapons industry, one must
understand the potential impacts and threats of the weapons industry. These threats mostly include
ethical dilemmas by default when considered from an engineers perspective. Whether it be threat and
damage to human or environmental health, the industry (mostly) stands against the engineers code of
ethics that is to serve and to prevent damage to the people and the earth. Engineers working in various
sectors of the weapons industry from development to defense contractors, face a dilemma everyday
with the decisions they have to make and whether their actions are ethically justified or not. The
problem is a complex one as with every developing technology, along with the offensive capabilities of
nations, defensive capabilities grow as well. Although it is not directly correlated that being in
possession of defensive capabilities does not directly reduce civilian casualties, it is a question that
engineers in the industry ask themselves daily. If years of education and careful training has taught
engineers anything is that every decision they make is for the benefit and advancement of the society as
a whole and if they are faced with a decision that conflicts with that, it becomes an important ethical
issue.

Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry |2

 Oguz Avci - B00572497 |3

Table of Contents
Executive Summary:...................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction: ................................................................................................................................................. 4

Description: ................................................................................................................................................... 4

Ethical Dilemmas and Threats: ..................................................................................................................... 4

1. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: ............................................................................................................... 5

2. Collection of information: ................................................................................................................. 5

3. Nuclear Weapons: ............................................................................................................................. 5

4. Private Sector Control of Weapons Manufacturing: ........................................................................ 6

Discussion of Ethics: ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Recommendations: ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Conclusion: .................................................................................................................................................... 7

Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................. 8

Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry |3

 Oguz Avci - B00572497 |4

Introduction:
Being one of the largest industries globally, the United States alone spent $1.531 trillion (US Dollars) in
2009, due to global conflicts in terrorism and the improvement of military capacities of developing
nations in a race of arms [1]. Ethics has always been a tricky subject for engineers and it continues to be
so with the increasing rate in funding of R&D for advanced weapon technologies [1] [2] [3]. Although
with every new weapons projects, scientists and engineers are gathering more and more internationally
in order to make contributions to the technical monitoring of arms control agreements [3]. Although
some believe that engineers have a choice in whether to work for weapon manufacturers [4] others
show the increasing rates in pay as incentives for more engineers to pick their place in the weapons
industry [5]. The dilemma is more serious than the engineers salary as with every growing spying tool
and military equipment [6], more people are under risk of death which opposes the ethical duty of
engineers code to prevent damage to human life and ecological life.

Description:
The impacts caused by the weapons industry and the ethical issues that follow with engineers working
for weapons manufacturers and top secret government project in developing advanced spying
technology and dangerous military equipment have been increasing in importance over the years. This is
due to global conflicts in terrorism and increase in tension over strong military powers such as the
U.S.A., Russia, China and latest advancements in military technology of countries such as Iran, and North
Korea, seen globally as a threat. Not only is weapons manufacturing a threat and cause of rising
tensions, collecting information on a nation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is also the factor in
damaging the reputation of nations and introducing new political problems worldwide.

Ethical Dilemmas and Threats:

From the engineers point of view, a threat is one that comes to human and environmental life. Since
this is a general understanding of threat, the engineers have an important task in keeping up with it. Not
only physical weaponry considered an obvious threat, information collection and spy technology can
also be used for the bad of the society in the hands of those who wish to see the people as a means
only. Although there are certain laws and treaties limiting the uses of these spy technologies [7], these
legally binding documents are sometimes not honored by both those who signed the treaty [7]. There
are also physical threats from weapons especially on a large scale such as nuclear weapons seen during

Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry |4

 Oguz Avci - B00572497 |5

World War II. A committee of scientists [3] demonstrated that only a demonstration by the United
States of a nuclear explosion would compel Japan to surrender without actually using it on the two
civilian cities [3]. A general threat is the arms industry itself. The control of these weapons
manufacturers, and training of personnel equipped with these weapons that are part of large
corporations and trusts are hardly fully controlled by governments, being used around the world as a
private army in disposal of those with money [2].

1. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles:

UAVs are one of the most popular types of information gathering equipment both in use (flight) and
development [7]. Its uses in national applications have been controversial as they are in breach with
privacy and certain privacy laws (which may be nullified in case of national defense or state emergency)
[7]. Lately, UAVs have also been equipped with certain weapons such as combustible materials,
chemical and explosive materials which were used in some cases directly in combat, such as in the Iraq
War [7]. Although these are some of their damaging capabilities, they also prevent human pilots from
hazards [7] which in and of itself is also subject to debate as they have the potential to cause harm.

2. Collection of information:
While collecting information with the help of surveillance technology (i.e.: via UAVs) prove to be
essential in modern militaries and secret government agencies, some nations have taken action to
prevent intrusions to civil liberties [7]. It has been an ethical dilemma in the U.S.A. where some
recognized these surveillance activities to be in conflict with the Fourth amendment (protecting citizens
from unreasonable searches) [7]. Their Supreme Court ruled that obtaining information through these
technologies constituted a breach of the amendment [7]. Although certain agencies within the country
have ruled that their footage led to the arrest of known criminals and were able to get away with the
breach [7]. Ultimately, it the ethical justification of the act that must be agreed upon before the action
takes place.

3. Nuclear Weapons:
Nuclear weapons have been characterized by many to be inherently unethical regardless of the criteria
under which they are used [1]. Even in times of war, nuclear weapons mean to kill or cause harm
indiscriminately, regardless of the victims status whether they are combatants or not [1]. Although
there is another point of view which shows that the act of only being in possession of nuclear weapons,
is enough to impose peace due to its potential [1]. The development and the intended use of nuclear

Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry |5

 Oguz Avci - B00572497 |6

weapons have always been under close global watch. A violation of no arms control agreement by India
and Pakistan forced Indian engineers to speak out against their government for their technology policies
regarding weapons developing [3]. It is the existence of the sense of ethical duty which engineers are
expected to have and are famous in having that gives humanity hope in restricted access to material
regarding nuclear weapons.

4. Private Sector Control of Weapons Manufacturing:

When it comes to the private sector in the capitalist world (open market) in which competition dictates
the future of global economy, newly developed technologies are usually kept hidden, marginally
controlled by governments [7]. In the United States alone, the revenue of the top 5 weapons
manufacturers was a sum total of $216.43 billion in 2009 [1]. In addition to developing weapons
technologies, they were also responsible for making up the biggest portion of the defense contractor
sector in the world [1]. The engineers who are working in the weapon development programs might not
be directly responsible for the actions of the companies, although their designs eventually lead to the
demise of the people these weapons are intended to be used for. In the end, the companies only gather
to discuss how to increase their revenues [1], not to discuss the potential impacts of their products.

Discussion of Ethics:
Understanding the origins of the ethical dilemmas is just as important as understanding the ethical
dilemmas themselves. From engineering ethics point of view, any harm that comes to human or
environmental life is considered ethically unjustified which is sometimes supported by standards or law
and sometimes by the engineers judgement. In a world under constant reminders of threats from both
home and abroad, engineers face difficult choices in whether to be involved in certain project, how to
approach and how much to contribute to a project. This is especially true in the weapons manufacturing
industry. An industrial revolution engineers point of view was to turn the sources of power into
machinery, ultimately benefitting the society as a whole [6]. In the modern world, many engineers who
are working on a weapons development project are left in the dark in terms of the uses of these
technologies [6]. Although it may generally seem that working in weapons manufacturing may be
unethical, another dilemma for engineers is to know where to draw the line as certain projects may
actually be for the good of the society, eventually [4]. An example is an engineer involved with
developing a technology to defend an innocent society from an engineer who was involved with

Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry |6

 Oguz Avci - B00572497 |7

designing the technology to do harm to that society [4]. Of course, there are those engineers who
gather together to prevent potential extremes by monitoring these arms deals [3].

Recommendations:
Having analyzed the risks and the degree of ethical unacceptability, the benefits of the weapons industry
are outweighed by far due to their potential of risk [7]. It has also been debated in support of the risks of
weaponry that with each advancing technology in the field of arms lead to more potential damage to
the society and the environment as the probability of the technology falling into the wrong hands
increases [1]. One logical reason for weapons to exist is to protect the continuation and safety of ones
society but at the point where it interferes with anothers, it loses its purpose. As a complex species,
humans are divided for various reasons and the weapon industry leads in terms of the reason why.
Increasing weapons technology leads to increasing risk which ultimately raises the damage potential to
not only the lives of current humans and the environment but also of the future.

Conclusion:
Ultimately, it is the goal of each nation to protect their interests both at home and abroad. Occasionally,
it is in the engineers hands to decide whether working for that goal is for the betterment of the society
or not. The weapons industry however has proved time and again that their objective is not for the
betterment of society but for the betterment of themselves. Private sector is mostly interested in using
the people as a means only, not analyzing the impacts of their actions. Every weapons deal and
technology takes the world one step closer to threat which by itself should be enough to dissuade
engineers from taking part in their industry. After all, engineers have a code and responsibility for the
society as they are entrusted with the power of the designing the infrastructure on which society
survives.

Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry |7

 Oguz Avci - B00572497 |8

Bibliography:

[1] Aerostudents, "Ethics Essay," [Online]. Available:

http://aerostudents.com/files/ethics/EthicsExampleEssay1.pdf. [Accessed 13 February 2016].

[2] M. Davis, "Ethical Issues in the Global Arms Industry: A Role for Engineers," University of
Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, 2015.

[3] L. G. PALDY, "A Code of Ethics on Arms R&D for Scientists and Engineers," Center for Science,
Mathematics, and Technology Education State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook,
NY, 1998.

[4] TryEngineering.org, "As a design engineer, could I work for a firearms manufacturing company,
designing weapons?," TryEngineering, [Online]. Available: http://tryengineering.org/ask-
expert/design-engineer-could-i-work-firearms-manufacturing-company-designing-weapons.
[Accessed 13 February 2016].

[5] R. Suttle, "How Much Money Does a Military Weapon Designer Make?," Chron, [Online]. Available:
http://work.chron.com/much-money-military-weapon-designer-make-28910.html. [Accessed 13
February 2016].

[6] A. El-Zein, "As engineers, we must consider the ethical implications of our work," theguardian, 5
December 2013. [Online]. Available:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/05/engineering-moral-effects-technology-
impact. [Accessed 13 February 2016].

[7] R. L. Finn and D. Wright, Unmanned aircraft systems: Surveillance, ethics and privacy in civil
applications, London: Elsevier Ltd., 2012.

Ethical Challenges for Engineers in the Weapons Industry |8