Thursday, January 3, 2008
How has technology affected society?
The question is not whether or not technology has affected society; it is a fact it has and probably in as many negative ways as good. Technologies like home entertainment, cell phones, e-mail, caller ID and text messaging are great tools, but have they altered our sense of civility, sociability and care for each other? Are funerals and crisis events the only lasting occasions when we reveal the true humanity within us?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think that is probably right. Luddism in some qualified sense of the term, seems correct to me. We would not want to say that technological innovation is always "good." I need mention just one area in which innovation of this sort could be potentially dangerous and harmful, viz. weapons research (See Ian Hacking's book on this, "The Social Construction of What?"). Moreover, it does seem that certain other innovations have negative social consequences. Take for example, the easy access to voyeurism supplied by the particular internet service providers. The capicity to view almost whatever you would like to view, is a capicity which I take to be extremely troublesome, especially in a society of egoists. We are so preoccupied with whether or not we CAN invent and incorperate this or that innovation that we do not stop and think about whether we SHOULD invent and incorperate such innovations.
Bernard--are you still posting? I met you at CAN on 12/2/2012, where we talked about analytic versus continental philosophy. Here's my fascination with Levinas: talking philosophy with a 10-year-old: http://livingstoncontent.com/2012/12/06/talking-philosophy-with-a-10-year-old/
Kirk Livingston
Post a Comment