History Main / TechnologicalPacifist

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': The Aes Sedai MagicalSociety has a magically binding oath "never to make a weapon for one man to kill another". However, it's of little importance by the era of the books because the art of magical ItemCrafting is long forgotten, a single strong Aes Sedai can be a OneManArmy with the [[FunctionalMagic One Power]] alone, and the Aes Sedai have a legendary reputation for LoopholeAbuse anyway.

* The Second of the Three Oaths of the Aes Sedai in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' series is "Under the Light, I vow never to make a weapon for one man to kill another."
** And like the other two oaths, there are so many [[ExactWords potential ways to get around it]] that it makes people trust Aes Sedai even less than they would if they never took the oaths to begin with...
*** Would making, say, a catapult be a way around it? It takes more than one man to operate, and its principle purpose is to destroy fortifications. The human deaths are (when it is used as intended) incidental to the actual goal, so it isn't was a catapult is 'for'. The most obvious way around it is, of course, making a weapon that can only be wielded by women (which considering [[MarsAndVenusGenderContrast the nature of the Power]] would be easier for an Aes Sedai than making a weapon that can be used by anyone).
** And this oath is also rendered largely irrelevant by the fact that the secrets of making ''[[{{Magitek}} ter'angreal]]'' (artifacts that use the [[FunctionalMagic One Power]], including but not limited to weapons) have been [[LostTechnology lost for quite some time]], so no Aes Sedai would even know how to make any weapons beyond the mundane. When the trick is rediscovered, it's by someone who hasn't actually taken the oaths yet.

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* When IronMan was first created, at the height of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, his company was a proud part of the Military-Industrial Complex. Over the years, writers changed that situation.

* Sort-of example: the mad scientist in ''Film/MysteryMen'' makes weapons, yes, but everything is completely [[NonlethalWarfare nonlethal]]. [[AbnormalAmmo Surreally]] [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells so]].

* In ''Series/MarvelsAgentCarter'', Howard Stark refuses to create inventions for the military, and tells Carter why. He once produced a serum called the Midnight Oil for military application. It didn't go against his principles, because it wasn't deadly in and of itself; it was supposed to allow troops to stay awake for long periods of time. However, it failed and instead turned test subjects psychotic. When Stark found out that General [=McGinnis=] stole the serum and used it on Soviet troops, he took a swing at [=McGinnis=] and cut ties with the military.

* Rex, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', is a [[WorkingClassHero Salvager]], who delves into the Cloudsea to retrieve the lost technology within it for resale. Out of his optimism and his distaste for violence, he makes a point of skipping over any weaponisable technology, even though the growing tensions between the Ardanian Empire and the Kingdom of Uraya would have made this profitable for him. [[BoisterousBruiser Vandham]], leader of the Garfont Mercenaries, picks a hole in Rex's philosophy by advising him that militia don't only require weapons to function; they also need a range of other kinds of technologies for logistical, transportation and administrative reasons, as well.

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A TechnologicalPacifist is a scientist, corporation, or organization that -- no matter how smart they may be or how many other things they create -- will never, ever design, produce, or sell weaponry or military products. Why they may do this may vary, but generally it's given that using their genius to make weapons would go against their core principles.

* Somewhat subverted in ''Anime/YuGiOh''. When Kaiba took over his father's company, he changed it from a military manufacturer to a gaming company. However, the games he makes have been at times sadistic. And, of course, ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney.

* The mutant Jericho, at Whateley Academy in the WhateleyUniverse. He's working on power armor. But his power armor is for medics and [=EMTs=] to wear so they can help people in the middle of wars or superhero fights.

* The Second of the Three Oaths of the Aes Sedai in the WheelOfTime series is "Under the Light, I vow never to make a weapon for one man to kill another."

* ''Film/IronMan1'': When the film starts, Tony Stark is the devil-may-care CEO of Stark Industries, a major military contractor, and proud of the weapons he makes. After being held in captivity, however, and seeing his weapons in the hands of terrorists, he has a moral crisis and announces that Stark's weapons manufacturing division will be shut down until he can develop full accountability for who's using them. What he doesn't know is that it's his second in command who's been double-dealing, and this develops into the movie's principal conflict. Tony also has no qualms in deploying the heavily armed Iron Man suit against said terrorists. However, remember that he doesn't seem to mind America using his weapons, he just doesn't want the terrorists using them.
** He's gone full out with this by the second film, when he does everything in his power to keep the iron man suit out of the US government's hands. At least until Rhodey steals one.

* Sort-of example: The mad scientist in ''Film/MysteryMen'' makes weapons, yes, but everything is completely [[NonlethalWarfare nonlethal]]. [[AbnormalAmmo Surreally]] [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells so]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': Derek Powers secretly uses Wayne Corp to develop weapons, conventional and biological, and then sells them to [[{{Ruritania}} Kaznia]].

* In ''Film/BatmanBegins'', William Earle takes over Wayne Enterprises after Thomas Wayne's death. The second sign that Earle is an unscrupulous jerk is when it's mentioned that he's expanded Wayne Enterprises into heavy arms manufacturing. (The first sign is when we hear that he's taking the company public.)

* In ''IronManArmoredAdventures'', Stark International under Howard Stark is an example of this. When he dies and CorruptCorporateExecutive Obadiah Stane takes over, this policy naturally goes out the window; Tony's fury at the "corruption" of his father's company--and not a little of his own engineering work--is a recurring theme throughout the season.

* In a sketch in series 3, episode 2 of ''That MitchellAndWebb Look'', the MadScientist Professor Death demonstrates his inventions to the US President and a military officer. These innocent creations include a Death Ray (a barcode scanner, which might also be adapted for delicate eye surgery) and a Laser Plated Armoured Scorpion of Death (a shop shelf-stacker - "the sting fires helpful bullets!"). However, when it is suggested that these machines might have military applications that would [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII help the war effort]], he is disgusted and attempts to smash the devices:

* Fairly similar to the ''Discworld''/Leonard of Quirm example above: In a sketch in series 3, episode 2 of ''That MitchellAndWebb Look'', the MadScientist Professor Death demonstrates his inventions to the US President and a military officer. These innocent creations include a Death Ray (a barcode scanner, which might also be adapted for delicate eye surgery) and a Laser Plated Armoured Scorpion of Death (a shop shelf-stacker - "the sting fires helpful bullets!"). However, when it is suggested that these machines might have military applications that would [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII help the war effort]], he is disgusted and attempts to smash the devices:

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* ''GundamSEEDAstray'' has main character Lowe Guele, a mechanic who insist that [[HumongousMecha mobile suits]] are not by nature evil, but get used that way by evil people[[note]]Or, alternately, [[IncrediblyLamePun "Gundams don't kill people, villains kill people".]][[/note]]. During the final showdown with original BigBad Rondo Ghina Sahaku, Lowe even says that he can hear Rondo's MS crying about being used as an instrument of destruction.

*** Would making, say, a catapult be a way around it? It takes more than one man to operate, and its principle purpose is to destroy fortifications. The human deaths are (when it is used as intended) incidental to the actual goal, so it isn't was a catapult is 'for'. The most obvious way around it is, of course, making a weapon that can only be wielded by women (which considering [[UnequalRites the nature of the Power]] would be easier for an Aes Sedai than making a weapon that can be used by anyone).
** And this oath is also rendered largely irrelevant by the fact that the secrets of making ''ter'angreal'' (artifacts that use the [[FunctionalMagic One Power]], including but not limited to weapons) have been [[LostTechnology lost for quite some time]], so no Aes Sedai would even know how to make any weapons beyond the mundane. When the trick is rediscovered, it's by someone who hasn't actually taken the oaths yet, and given the UnequalRites in effect she would probably find it easier to make ''ter'angreal'' weapons designed for use by women.

*** Would making, say, a catapult be a way around it? It takes more than one man to operate, and its principle purpose is to destroy fortifications. The human deaths are (when it is used as intended) incidental to the actual goal, so it isn't was a catapult is 'for'. The most obvious way around it is, of course, making a weapon that can only be wielded by women.

* Inverted by JerkAss MadScientist Dr. Nesbit in ''Webcomic/{{Supermegatopia}}''.

* Fairly similar to the ''Discworld''/Leonard of Quirm example above: In a sketch in series 3, episode 2 of ''That MitchellAndWebb Look'', the MadScientist Professor Death demonstrates his inventions to the US President and a military officer. These innocent creations include a Death Ray (a barcode scanner, which might also be adapted for delicate eye surgery) and a Laser Plated Armoured Scorpion of Death (a shop shelf-stacker - "the sting fires helpful bullets!"). However, when it is suggested that these machines might have military applications that would [[WW2 help the war effort]], he is disgusted and attempts to smash the devices:

* Wallace Luthor, LexLuthor's grandfather, was a Technological Pacifist during World War I. He was persuaded to contribute to the war effort, and became convinced that the collapse of his company in the Wall Street Crash was his punishment.