工学の発展による苦痛からの解放と人間の機能の喪失に関する工学倫理

抄録

Modern engineering has contributed greatly to the welfare of human beings and the development of society. The steam engine and electric motor released humans from severe physical labor such as work in a coal mine. Electric home appliances and utensils also released women from continuous physical labor in their homes. Now, the computer is reducing brainworks and will take the place of more sophisticated occupations such as teachers, physicians and lawyers in the near future. Although the development due to engineering appears to human beings happier lives, it can be said that it has also deprived them of the functions human beings. It was pointed out that the impact which engineers have given to human society was huge in relation between "Materials civilization" and "destruction of Mental" by engineering since industrial revolution. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the impact which engineers have brought about to human society has been great in terms of the relationship between "material civilization" and the "loss of human function" through engineering. In other words, power became the complete alternative to the activity of muscles as a human function, as much as labor and family ties are collapsed by home electrical appliances and industrial society system, and home electrical appliances and the industrialized system of society destroyed the structure of labor and family ties. Computers and information may deprive a man of abilities such as thought, impression, and creativity. These changes may not be concluded as being contrary to engineering ethics. But if engineering is to be defined as "the application of the principles of nature to contribute to human welfare", we should advance research of the alternatives to and the losses of human functions an well as increasing the production of materials and environmental issues.