Tehnoetika - osnova tehničkog djelovanja
Technoethics - The Base of Technical Activities

Summary/Abstract: Ethics occupies an important place within the concept of general technology, which consists of natural and artificial (human) technology. Both technologgies make a distinction between the technology of the living and the technology of the nonliving. In human technology there are biotechnology (artificial technology of the living) and technology (artificial technology of the non-living). Every technical activity is oriented towards the needs of people but at the same time it is also related to certain risks. With the aim of directing the ambivalent consequences of technical activities, engineering ethics has been developed. In the field of artificial technology of the living, the research and the consequences of practical activities lie in domain of bioethics. Owing to the increasingly strong presence of technical activities, especially in the field of medicine, bioethics has often been the topic of discussions and scientific analyses, due to which it was separated from general ethics. On the other hand, in the field of artificial technology of the non-living (technology of things), the discussions have been going on for many years about the possible consequences of technical activities, but without clearly and comprehensively defined criteria. As a result, in 1991 the biggest European engineering-scientific society VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure) published a Directive-Assessment of Technology (VDI 3780). This meant a great turning point in the understanding of engineering ethics. Apart from personal responsibility, also the categories of corporation and social responsibilities are introduced (G. Ropohl). At the beginning of 2002 VDI published basic ethical principles which refer to the interpretation, advice and improvement of technical activities, and to the responsibility and protection of the participants in technical activities in practice. The basic ethical principles for successful operation in the (human) technology (of the non-living) are presented in this article.

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