HIST 115 Lecture 20

Is technology good for us?

Hard to say it’s not good for us. 

  • Medicine

  • Science

  • Convenience.

But let’s look a little deeper…


  1. Supporters of Technology

Samuel Florman - One of the most famous supporters of technology.

  • Engineer

  • Against critics of technology

    • “Technological progress is the true measurement of human development”

      • This is the paradigm of technological determinism.

  • Criticize the critics.

Claims that engineers work independently from external factors.

  • “Whatever they do, is from the inner passion of innovation, and for the benefit of mankind.”


Removes all moral responsibility for the engineers.

  • Once they innovate these technologies, it’s not up to them.

    • Reminiscent of Warner Von Braun.

      • “Technology does not have a moral dimension…”

Ray Kurzweil

  • Proponent of singularity.

    • AI/technological systems should/will become autonomous from people.


But some believe the singularity is already here.

  • ChatGPT 4, 5, and beyond..

    • This software talks to itself and learns from itself without human interaction.

    • Still relies on servers operated by humans….


Brian Arthur – Studies autonomous technology.

  • Autopoietic - self-creating.

    • Believes technology is an evolving process which will eventually become self-creating.

    • All obsolete (human) factors will be removed.


Lewis Mumford

  • The myth – unlimited technological progress will eliminate humanity

    • Criticizes this notion

  • From th 60’s…

    • Maybe at that time, it was true, but now that myth may be true..

  • “Technology will never turn on us because it is the culmination of biological progression”

    • “Natural biological expression of humans”.


  1. Critics of Technology

Not many left, and many come to a sad end in one way or another.

  • Luddites


Luddites from 1811

  • Important to note that they aren’t against technology.

  • They are against the change that comes with rapid technological change.

    • They only refused technology which they recognized as harmful

The mass media and internet presents them as anti-technology.

  • ‘Idiots’

    • “We are too busy using square wheels. Sorry!”


When the factory system was introduced, the Luddites’ world came to an end.

  • The Luddite movement was a struggle between two systems.

    • 1. The Factory system.

    • 2. The Putting-out system.

  • The Factory system fundamentally changed everything the world knew.

    • “Maximize profits by minimizing expenses.”


The factory owners became part of the government.

  • Law system.. Parliament.. Army.

    • In theory, there is such a thing as democracy.

      • Should be based on the representation of the people…. But this is the representation of the factory owners.


In 1812, 200 Luddites take to the streets to protest against the changes that the factory system brought.

  • 14 000 troops were deployed and massacred the Luddites.


As such, the Luddite movement was crushed.


Every negative opposition to the technological movement was crushed.

We still see this today.


The British government (Now controlled by the factory owners)

  • Pass a new law.

  • According to which, destruction of the machine is punishable by death.

    • Under the law system, technology has equal rights to humans.


Jacques Elllul

  • Scholar and philosopher

    • “We are controlled by technology.”

    • Recognized that technology should not be used for political and economic means.


  • Believed the reason we cannot see technology controls us is because we are ‘sleepers in a box’.


Plato – Allegory of the cave.

  • Sleepers.

  • Shadows and realities. Only way to see the truth is to escape and see the fire.


Neil Postman

  • What he predicted in the 1990s became the reality of the 2020s.

    • What we have lost

  • Postman made three main points:

    • 1. Technology is a trade-off..

      • We gain lots of benefits, but lose some things.

    • 2. Technology transforms societies.

      • It always has an impact.

    • 3. We are obedient to technology.

      • We are tools to our tools.


  1. From technology to technopoly

We use technology to solve various problems…


But now we see the implementation of technoscience,

  • Technology

  • Money

  • Power


Although this allowed us to make some medical breakthroughs….

  • It’s still about the big 3.


So what is scientism?

  • To accept unchallenged from science the answers to such questions as how to feel, live, or behave.


To justify anything, you only need to name-drop two things.

  • Scientists

  • An accredited institution.


Scientism led to the technopoly.


Okay, so what is a technopoly?

  • The world we live in, composed of four principles.

    • 1. Obedience to technology

      • No choice.

    • 2. Ignorance

      • No awareness of what technology is doing to our lives.

      • All of the information from every person.

    • 3.  Acceptance of mass media and the internet as the source of knowledge.

      • We have lost our ability to distinguish between information and knowledge.

      • Elders have been replaced by Google.

      • Erasure of skill.

    • 4. Ignorance of the past and of history.

      • Designed pattern.

        • Part of mass media, advertising.

        • Money

      • Collectively, we are convinced that

        • New is better

        • Old is obsolete

        • Away with the past! Doesn't matter.

        • ‘The future is friendly.’


Is the future really friendly…?

  • Depends on who/where/what you look at.