L2

• Contrast with nature

  technology
• Means to an end / purposeful / functional: having a purpose, end, or value for which it is intended or used

  technology
• ®Most generally: intended and used to increase freedom and power

  technology
• Technology creates new opportunities for human flourishing and new ways of life, which in turn create new social and ethical problems

  children of innovation
• the organization of knowledge, people and things to accomplish specific practical goals

  technology
• who wrote children of innovation

  morton winston
• The scope of technology

  End-product

  Tools

  Agents

  Social Support
• the organization of knowledge, people and things to accomplish specific practical goals

  technology
• technological system consists of:

  Human Activity Form

  Resource well

  Artifacts

  Valences

  Background Knowledge and Skills

  Social Organization
• Use of natural objects or tools

  human activity form
• Original states or natural states that are acted upon

  resource well
• ®Interaction effect:  artifacts may act as tools and resources for further technology

  artifacts
• Typical or intended uses

  Valences/values
• ®Necessary background

  knowledge and skills
• For development, distribution and employment of technologies

  social context
• Procedural knowledge or “know-how”

  human activity form
• Increases human capacities and powers

  human activity form
• Includes the built environment or physical infrastructure

  resource well
• May be independent of actual use of a particular item

  valences/values
• Generally INSTRUMENTAL VALUE, serving human needs and desires

  valences/values
• Includes social artifacts: institutions that divide and coordinate labour

  social context
• Sophisticated cognitive techniques

  social context
• ®Allowed settled, communities (civilization)

  agricultural revolution
• ®Emergence of morality, law, religion, records, mathematics, astronomy, class structures, patriarchy

  agricultural revolution
• ®Steam engine, then gasoline-driven combustion engine

  industrial revolution
• ®More specialized division of labour and of knowledge — each worker needed fewer skills

  industrial revolution
• ®Less expensive goods, so increased standard of living

  industrial revolution
• ®Infrastructure for transportation

  industrial revolution
• ®English workers in 1811-1816, protested the changes of the Industrial Revolution that they felt threatened their jobs

  luddites
• ®Perhaps fictional:  Man who destroyed two large stocking-frames that produced inexpensive stockings undercutting those produced by skilled knitters.  Because he was feeble-minded, he was not prosecuted.

  Ned Ludd
• ®refer to anyone who opposes industrial technology, or technology more generally

  luddite/luddism
• Theodore Kaczynski, including bomb sent to Yale computer scientist David Gelernter

  unabomber
• ®Better record keeping and communication

  knowledge revolution
• ®Flexible, programmable tools allow more customized short production runs, so supply can more accurately follow demand

  knowledge revolution
• ®Better scheduling and inventory control provides basis for geographically distributed production systems (globalization)

  knowledge revolution
• ®Increased need for specialized education

  knowledge revolution