The Islamic Standard for the Assessment of Modern Technology

The Islamic religion is a holistic way of life; its worldview and ethical guidelines govern all spheres of human life and activities, including modern technology. Until recently, due to an instrumentalist understanding of modern technology, it was thought to be a value-neutral enterprise. The value-neutrality perspective has now been abandoned by academicians although it is still accepted at the popular level. The more recent view on modern technology is that it is perhaps the most important expression of human values, aspirations and goals, and reflective of the ethical paradigm from which it emerged. Muslim scholars have framed the discourse for Islamisation of Science, but there has been little discussion of modern technology in relation to Islamic objectives and values. This paper attempts to address this gap in the discourse by examining the ontological, epistemological and ethical problems inherent in current, predominantly Western, attitudes towards technological advancement, and discussing the need for Muslims to formulate their own ethical framework for the evaluation and development of modern technology. Can Muslims develop an Islamic conception of modern technology that defines it not only as a practical means to proximate ends but also as a factor contributing in meaningful ways to the ultimate Islamic objectives (maqāṣid) of nurturing the human self and promoting compassion and community? Can modern technology be reworked along Islamic lines to foster a thoughtful life of balance, moderation and good character (akhlāq)? Can the Islamic framework help to put modern technology back in its rightful place as a means to ends rather than an end in itself? These are the questions raised and discussed in this paper.