Another useful reading
To go further, some of the authors mention in the reading “hard” technological determinism where “changes in technology exert a greater influence on societies and their processes than any other factor”. I have always seen technology as an inevitable and inescapable progression, but from a utopian perspective.
Way back in 1967 Robert L. Heilbroner, in “Do Machines Make
History” looked at the effect of technology in determining the nature of the
socioeconomic order. In a completely deterministic view he argued that “the
technology of a society imposes a determinate pattern of social relations on
that society.” So this is not a new
concept – 45 years ago the same views were being pondered. I find this comforting,
in a way J
I think that it has been refreshing to look back at some of the early literature...the Noble article listed fears we still hear today from faculty.
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