|
Insertformulahere Technological determinism is a reductionist doctrine that a society's technology determines its cultural values, social structure, or history. This is not to be confused with the inevitability thesis (Chandler), which states that once a technology is introduced into a culture that what follows is the inevitable development of that technology. This article is about the general notion of determinism in philosophy. ...
Descartes held that non-human animals could be reductively explained as automata — De homines 1622. ...
An idea in the philosophy of technology stating that once a technology is introduced into a culture that what follows is inevitable development of that technology. ...
Technological determinism has been summarized as 'The belief in technology as a key governing force in society ...' (Merritt Roe Smith), '... the belief that social progress is driven by technological innovation, which in turn follows an "inevitable" course.' (Michael L. Smith), 'The idea that technological development determines social change ...' (Bruce Bimber), '... the belief that technical forces determine social and cultural changes.' (Thomas P. Hughes); '... a three-word logical proposition: "Technology determines history"' (Rosalind Williams) Thomas Parke Hughes is Mellon Professor of the History and Sociology of Science, Emeritus, at the University of Pennsylvania, and Visiting Professor at MIT and Stanford University. ...
The term is believed to have been coined by Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929), an American sociologist. Thorstein Bunde Veblen (born Tosten Bunde Veblen July 30, 1857 – August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American sociologist and economist and a founder, along with John R. Commons, of the Institutional economics movement. ...
Most interpretations of technological determinism share two general ideas:
- that the development of technology itself follows a predictable, traceable path largely beyond cultural or political influence, and
- that technology in turn has "effects" on societies that are inherent, rather than socially conditioned or that the society organizes itself in such a way to support and further develop a technology once it has been introduced.
Technological determinism stands in opposition to the theory of the social construction of technology, which holds that both the path of innovation and the consequences of technology for humans are strongly if not entirely shaped by society itself, through the influence of culture, politics, economic arrangements, and the like. Social construction of technology (also referred to as SCOT) is a theory within the field of Science and Technology Studies (or Technology and society). ...
Technological determinism has been largely discredited within academia, especially by science and technology studies.[citation needed] However, it remains the dominant view within most news media and popular culture.[citation needed]
Pessimism towards techno-science arose after the mid 20th century for various reasons including the use of nuclear energy towards nuclear weapons, Nazi human experimentation during World War Two, and lack of economic development in the third world (also known as the global south). As a direct consequence, desire for greater control of the course of development of technology gave rise to disenchantment with the model of technological determinism in academia and the creation of the theory of technological constructivism (see social construction of technology). This article concerns the energy stored in the nuclei of atoms; for the use of nuclear fission as a power source, see Nuclear power. ...
The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ...
Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal Nazi human experimentation was medical experimentation on large numbers of people by the German Nazi regime in its concentration camps during World War II. // According to the indictment at the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials, these experiments...
This article is becoming very long. ...
For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ...
Social construction of technology (also referred to as SCOT) is a theory within the field of Science and Technology Studies (or Technology and society). ...
Hard and soft In examining determinism we should also touch upon Compatibilism and incompatibilism and the idea of Hard determinism and Soft Determinism. A compatibilist says that it is possible for free will and determinism to exist in the world together while a incompatibilist would say that they can not and there must be one or the other. Those who support determinism can be further divided. This article is about the general notion of determinism in philosophy. ...
Compatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism are in fact compatible and capable of co-existence (people who hold this belief are known as compatibilists). ...
Compatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism are in fact compatible and capable of co-existence (people who hold this belief are known as compatibilists). ...
Free-Will is a Japanese independent record label founded in 1986. ...
This article is about the general notion of determinism in philosophy. ...
Compatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism are in fact compatible and capable of co-existence (people who hold this belief are known as compatibilists). ...
This article is about the general notion of determinism in philosophy. ...
Hard determinists would view technology as developing independent from social concerns. They would say that technology creates a set of powerful forces acting to regulate our social activity and its meaning. According to this view of determinism we organize ourselves to meet the needs of technology and the outcome of this organization is beyond our control or we do not have the freedom to make a choice regarding the outcome.
Soft Determinism, as the name suggests, is a more passive view of the way technology interacts with socio-political situations. Soft determinists still subscribe to the fact that technology is the guiding force in our evolution, but would maintain that we have a chance to make decisions regarding the outcomes of a situation. This is not to say that free will exists but it is the possible for us to roll the dice and see what the outcome is.
Criticism Modern thinkers no longer consider technological determinism to be a very accurate view of the way in which we interact with technology. In his article "Subversive Rationalization: Technology, Power and Democracy with technology." Andrew Feenberg argues that technological determinism is not a very well founded concept by illustrating that two of the founding theses of determinism are easily questionable and in doing so calls for what he calls democratic rationalization (Feenberg 210-212). Andrew Feenberg is a philosopher of technology. ...
Democratic Rationalization is term used be Andrew Feenberg in his article Subversive Rationalization: Technology, Power and Democracy with technology. ...
Andrew Feenberg is a philosopher of technology. ...
In his article “Do Artifacts Have Politics?,” Langdon Winner transcends hard and soft technological determinism by elaborating two ways in which artifacts can have politics. Langdon Winner is Professor of Political Science in the Departement of Science and Technology studies at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York since 1990. ...
Another conflicting idea is that of technological somnambulism a term coined by Winner in his essay "technology as forms of life". Winner wonders whether or not we are simply sleepwalking through our existence with little concern or knowledge as to how we truly interact with technology. In this view it is still possible for us to wake up and once again take control of the direction in which we are traveling (Winner 104). Technological Somnambulism is a concept used when talking about the philosophy of technology. ...
See also This article is about the general notion of determinism in philosophy. ...
Look up hegemony in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Compatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism are in fact compatible and capable of co-existence (people who hold this belief are known as compatibilists). ...
In the unilineal evolution model at left, all cultures progress through set stages, while in the multilineal evolution model at right, distinctive culture histories are emphasized. ...
Techno-utopianism refers to any ideology based on the belief that advanced science and technology will eventually bring about a techno-utopia, a future society with ideal living conditions for all its citizens. ...
Constructivism is a new criticism in philosophy directed against medieval realism, classical rationalism and empiricism. ...
A technological fix refers to solving a problem by using technology. ...
An idea in the philosophy of technology stating that once a technology is introduced into a culture that what follows is inevitable development of that technology. ...
Technological Somnambulism is a concept used when talking about the philosophy of technology. ...
Democratic Rationalization is term used be Andrew Feenberg in his article Subversive Rationalization: Technology, Power and Democracy with technology. ...
The Philosophy of technology is a philosophical field dedicated to studying the nature of technology and its social effects. ...
Bibliography - Cowan, Ruth Schwarz. More Work for Mother:.
- Ellul, Jacques (1964). The Technological Society. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
- Noble, David F. (1984). Forces of Production: A Social History of Industrial Automation. Oxford University Press: New York.
- Smith, Merritt Roe; and Leo Marx, eds. (1994). Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism. Cambridge: MIT Press.
- Staudenmaier, S.J., John M. (1985). "The Debate over Technological Determinism", Technology's Storytellers: Reweaving the Human Fabric. Cambridge: The Society for the History of Technology and the MIT Press, 134-148.
- Winner, Langdon (1977). Autonomous Technology: Technics-Out-of-Control as a Theme in Political Thought. Cambridge: MIT Press.
- Winner, Langdon. "Technology as Forms of Life". Readings in the Philosophy of Technology. David M. Kaplan. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004. 103-113
- Furbank, P.N. “The Myth of Determinism.” Raritan. [City] Fall 2006: 79-87. EBSCOhost. Monroe Community College Library, Rochester, NY. 2 April 2007.
- Feenberg, Andrew. "Democratic Rationalization". Readings in the Philosophy of Technology. David M. Kaplan. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004. 209-225
- Chandler, Daniel. Technological or Media Determinism. 1995. 18 September 1995. <http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tecdet.html>
This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
David F. Noble is a critical historian of technology, science and education. ...
Leo Marx is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an author known for his works in the field of American studies. ...
The Society for the History of Technology, or SHOT, is the primary professional society for historians of technology. ...
Langdon Winner is Professor of Political Science in the Departement of Science and Technology studies at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York since 1990. ...
External links |
Feeds |
Contact