Ethical Engineering: Definitions, Theories and Techniques - Ethical Engineering for International Development and Environmental Sustainability - page 47

3. Asking for help in disentangling problematic behaviour from potential biases in
'our' embedded tradition system.
4. Working with those willing to experiment with alternative behaviours and values
that are not based on the problematical biases of the tradition system.
The social tradition is both criticised and treated as a partner in the dialogue. The
method can enable peaceful change, reform organisation tradition biases, facilitate
change of ideas and sometimes leads to win-win solutions. The 'we' fellowship
relationship is a central element of the approach. It is therefore unlikely to work in
organisations or situations where the people involved do not see or value a 'we' rela-
tionship or 'us versus them' behaviour is more important. It will also not work when
the people in power present ethical issues in terms of their self-interest and ignore
alternative perspectives. It is inappropriate when there is no signifi cant negative bias
in the system and the cause of unethical behaviour lies largely in individuals.
The concept of upbuilding is derived from Kierkegaard's work ( 1944 ; 1967 ).
Friendly upbuilding is based on protecting and extending an existing ethical tradition
in a destructive external environment and using it to solve problems. It combines the
following three processes:
1. Explicit building from within an ethical environment as a way of framing and
solving problems in a problematical environment.
2. Generation of ethical decisions informed by the tradition.
3. Leaving the tradition open to criticism, modifi cation and further development.
Upbuilding can help organisations resist negative environmental pressures and
simultaneously develop their own traditions. It can facilitate peaceful change
through friendly peaceful efforts and enable ethical learning by individuals. Since it
is based on an existing ethical tradition, it will not work when the tradition is insuf-
fi ciently ethical or there is insuffi cient consensus about its ethical components. It
may also be too conservative.
Friendly reconstruction (Gadamer 1989 ), (adversarial) deconstruction (Derrida
1981 ; Foucault 1972 ) and experimental neopragmatism (Rorty 1982 , 1991 ) are
postmodernist approaches. Postmodernism is a particular period or perspective of
western thought. It differs from earlier philosophies in not recognising a centre or
single ideal purpose in life. Instead there is recognition of the value of the similari-
ties and differences of both one's own and other traditions. Friendly reconstruction
tries to bridge differences, whereas (adversarial) deconstruction exposes negative
biases and experimental neopragmatism aims at peaceful coexistence and small
improvements through experimentation.
In (adversarial) deconstruction, criticism of negative biases and oppressions is
used to achieve and maintain difference and diversity. This is often accompanied
by adversarial criticism of individuals representing the mainstream. Positive
reconstruction builds on tradition-based positive biases and commonalities. It combines
this with friendly criticism and dialogue about positive and negative biases in
cultures and systems. Experimental neopragmatism experiments with win-win
solutions in the absence of objective standards or principles. Rather than examining