Jordan Peterson is best known for his psychological insights, cultural critiques, and controversial stands on political and social issues. Rarely, however, is his name associated with the domains of technology and engineering. Yet, beneath the surface of his work—particularly in his theories of meaning, order, and archetypes—lies a framework that is deeply relevant to how we understand the development, use, and ethical challenges of modern technology.
This essay explores a key factor related to technology and engineering through the philosophical lens of Jordan Peterson: the centrality of individual responsibility and moral order in the face of powerful, often dehumanizing systems. While he does not explicitly write about engineering or technology as technical domains, Peterson’s psychological framework and philosophical arguments offer insights into how society ought to navigate the exponential advances of AI, automation, surveillance, biotechnology, and digital networks.
The core thesis is that the ethical application of technology must be grounded in meaning, individual responsibility, and humility—values that Peterson argues are essential not only for personal life but for civilization’s survival. In an age where technical capacity often outpaces moral wisdom, his call for order in the soul may be exactly what the engineering world needs.
I. The Technological Age: A Crisis of Meaning
Before diving into Peterson’s relevance, we must first contextualize the problem. We live in a world increasingly shaped by technological and engineering marvels—quantum computing, AI, gene editing, nuclear energy, space travel. These achievements are unprecedented. Yet, they arrive in a culture that is, paradoxically, spiritually confused and morally fragmented.
The philosopher Martin Heidegger once warned that modern technology is not just a tool, but a way of seeing the world—as something to be controlled, harvested, and manipulated. Peterson, though not directly drawing from Heidegger, echoes this fear in his own terms. He warns of the dangers of unmoored knowledge—knowledge without wisdom, power without responsibility.
According to Peterson, one of the deepest psychological issues of our time is the loss of meaning. In 12 Rules for Life, he writes that human beings are not content to live in a world of utility alone. We are meaning-seeking creatures. Technology may provide convenience, but it cannot answer questions like:
- Why are we here?
- What should we do with our power?
- What is good?
If technology accelerates without ethical reflection, Peterson suggests, we become the architects of our own destruction.
II. Peterson’s Core Philosophy: Order, Chaos, and the Individual
At the heart of Peterson’s thought is the symbolic tension between order and chaos. In his framework:
- Order represents structure, logic, the known, and tradition.
- Chaos represents change, innovation, the unknown, and potential.
Engineering and technology are themselves expressions of this balance. They impose order upon nature (design, infrastructure, systems) but also introduce chaos (disruption, unintended consequences, ethical dilemmas). Peterson warns that without individual responsibility to mediate these forces, we risk societal breakdown.
The individual is paramount in his worldview. Unlike collectivist ideologies that defer responsibility to systems, Peterson places moral accountability squarely on the individual. This is where he becomes relevant to technology: engineers, designers, and programmers must take responsibility for what they create—not just in terms of functionality, but impact.
III. Humility in the Face of Complexity
One of Peterson’s most repeated themes is humility in the face of what you do not understand. In psychological terms, this means recognizing the limits of your conscious mind and being wary of overconfidence.
In the context of engineering, this translates to epistemological humility—recognizing that even the most advanced systems may have flaws we cannot foresee. AI algorithms may harbor biases. Infrastructure may fail in unexpected ways. Genetic engineering may have side effects that only reveal themselves decades later.
Peterson’s warning is simple: Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
His analogy of the Tower of Babel is especially apt. In the biblical story, humanity builds a tower to reach heaven, but their arrogance leads to collapse and confusion. Peterson interprets this as a timeless warning about the dangers of overreaching without moral structure. In the same way, our technological towers—be they skyscrapers, server farms, or data surveillance systems—require a foundation of meaning and moral reflection. Without it, collapse is inevitable.
IV. The Archetype of the Engineer: Hero or Tyrant?
Peterson often speaks in Jungian terms, invoking archetypes to describe human behavior. If we examine the archetype of the engineer through his lens, we can see two contrasting versions:
- The heroic engineer: disciplined, rational, humble, striving to solve real problems for the good of society.
- The tyrannical engineer: arrogant, emotionally detached, playing god with lives, obsessed with control.
These archetypes are not just theoretical—they play out in real history. Think of Robert Oppenheimer, who helped build the atomic bomb and later expressed deep regret. Think of the tech giants who revolutionized communication but also enabled mass surveillance and social division.
Peterson’s framework urges engineers to integrate the shadow—to acknowledge the dark side of their own ambitions and innovations. Only by facing the potential for misuse and corruption can they create responsibly.
V. Responsibility Before Innovation
Peterson’s most consistent message is this: clean your room before you try to change the world. This deceptively simple idea has massive implications for engineers and technologists.
In engineering culture, innovation is often idolized. Startups are rewarded for moving fast and breaking things. Engineers are encouraged to disrupt, hack, and optimize. But what if the cultural obsession with progress is part of the problem?
Peterson argues that internal order must precede external order. In other words, before one builds a system to improve the world, one must build character and moral clarity. This is not to stifle innovation—but to protect it from becoming destructive.
This principle could serve as a corrective in areas such as:
- AI ethics: Ensure personal integrity before coding learning systems that influence millions.
- Biomedical engineering: Reflect on human dignity before redesigning DNA.
- Cybersecurity: Understand human psychology before designing mass data collection tools.
When innovation outpaces moral development, catastrophe looms.
VI. The Postmodern Critique: Moral Relativism in Tech Culture
A key element of Peterson’s public persona is his critique of postmodernism, particularly its denial of objective truth and emphasis on social construction. In the realm of technology and engineering, this manifests as value neutrality—the belief that tools are just tools, and what matters is how people use them.
Peterson rejects this notion. He believes tools reflect values. The designer is responsible not only for the tool, but for imagining its consequences. He pushes back against the idea that engineers can operate as “apolitical” agents.
This has direct relevance in current debates:
- Should social media platforms be neutral, or accountable for the mental health of users?
- Should AI developers build military drones just because the technology exists?
- Should programmers consider social justice when writing code?
Peterson would argue that moral cowardice hides behind neutrality. He challenges engineers to accept that their work shapes the world, and therefore requires ethical courage.
VII. Education, Apprenticeship, and the Engineering Psyche
Peterson has strong views about education, and they apply to how we train future technologists. He believes in hierarchy of competence, mastery through repetition, and the value of tradition. In a culture obsessed with fast progress and disruption, he reminds us that apprenticeship matters.
Engineering is not just about math and code. It’s about judgment, character, and restraint. These qualities are built slowly. Peterson would likely argue that modern education underemphasizes this psychological development.
In his lectures, he praises tradespeople, craftsmen, and engineers who embody skill and humility. He sees them as heroes of civilization—not because they wield power, but because they construct order out of chaos, a sacred task in his mythological framework.
VIII. The Human Behind the Machine
One of the dangers of the digital age is dehumanization. As machines become more powerful, people become numbers, users, data points. Peterson resists this trend. He insists on the sovereignty and sacredness of the individual.
In a Petersonian view, the person matters more than the system. The coder matters. The user matters. The moral decision of a single engineer—whether to speak up, whether to build responsibly—can change the world.
This individualism is not selfishness. It’s responsibility. It means that in a team of engineers, each person must act with the assumption that they are morally accountable, not just technically competent.
IX. Integration with Society: Order Must Be Lived, Not Just Designed
Peterson often says that “life is suffering,” but that meaning can be found through responsibility and order. This isn’t just advice for individuals—it’s advice for society.
Technology cannot save us from suffering. No system can eliminate chaos. But engineering can serve meaning—if it is guided by a deeper purpose.
What might this look like?
- Design with empathy.
- Build systems that preserve human dignity.
- Create tools that serve—not dominate—the human spirit.
Peterson would argue that a society that forgets the soul will engineer its own demise. That’s why meaning, order, and responsibility must be more than slogans. They must be lived by the people who build the future.
Conclusion: The Moral Engineer in a Technological Age
Jordan Peterson may not be a technologist or engineer by profession, but his ideas provide a moral compass that is urgently needed in today’s high-tech world. He teaches that:
- The individual must bear moral responsibility for their creations.
- Power without humility leads to collapse.
- Systems must serve meaning, not the other way around.
- Innovation must be grounded in psychological and spiritual maturity.
A key factor related to technology and engineering, then, is not purely technical at all—it is moral character. The machines we build are only as ethical as the souls of those who build them.
Peterson’s rule-based worldview, his reverence for tradition, and his emphasis on inner transformation all speak to a central truth: the future will not be saved by smarter machines, but by wiser people. And if engineers and technologists can take that to heart, they may not just innovate—they may lead us into a new era of meaning-driven progress.
