CM4-Gr.3

• Technological determinism

  A reductionist theory that assumes a society's technology progresses by following its own internal logic of efficiency, while determining the development of the social structure and cultural values
• Technological determinism

  • The belief that technology is the primary force shaping our society and culture, rather than simply being a tool that we use to achieve our goals
• Why technological determinism is a problem

  • Lack of consideration of the factors involved at the societal, organizational, individual, and cultural level
• Understanding Media, The Extensions of Man


  A book by Marshall McLuhan discussing the concept of technological determinism and its impact on society, particularly focusing on how different forms of media shape human perception and behavior
• Marshall McLuhan's book "Understanding Media, The Extensions of Man" was published


  1964
• Karl Marx critiques technological determinism, arguing that it removes human responsibility for technology, creates a positive view of human nature, and ignores other major drivers such as religion</b>
• Karl Marx argues that people in society don't actually understand technological determinism, but instead trust the experts of technology to lead us
• The term "technological determinism" was coined by one of its most trenchant critics, Raymond Williams
• Technological determinism persists in the actions taken and justifications given by many actors, in analysts' use of it to make sense of the introduction of technology in a variety of social settings, and in manifold theoretical and abstract accounts of the relationship between the technical and the social
• Technological determinism is predominantly employed as a critic's term, used to dismiss certain classes of theoretical and empirical claims, but can also be understood more productively as referring to claims that place a greater emphasis on the autonomous and social-shaping tendencies of technology
• Topics related to technological determinism

  • Hacktivism
  • Cyberwar
  • Viruses
  • Digital Commons
  • Cypherpunks
  • Nerds and Geeks
  • Cybercrime
• Hackers end debates over the meaning of technological determinism while recognising that at any one moment we are all always determined by technology