Martin Heidegger’s book about the essence of technology got me thinking about my previous coursework in Western philosophy and philosophy of education. He referred throughout the book to the teachings of Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle in his examination of the role of technology in society.
Plato viewed humans as rational beings and he posited that it is through rational thought that one can attain a fuller understanding of the truth. The process in discovering the truth leads to greater morality. Aristotle built upon the teachings of Plato and Socrates by using rational logic and deduction to classify and organize animals and plants according to species and genealogy. It is this rational way of thinking that led to the scientific method of inquiry, and modern day biology.
Heidegger explained that humans’ attempts at classifying and structuring allow us to make sense of the world. But, to discover the reality of the world, humans must be willing to challenge and question preconceptions. Reflection leads to questioning, questioning leads to new understandings, and the revealing of truth.
As an example, if we assume that technology is a tool, this presumes that a tool can be mastered and controlled. To fully understand the essence of technology, we have to be willing to question this assumption, which may be limiting our understanding of technology’s essence or destiny. Perhaps technology is more than a mere tool.
The essential problem that Heidegger examines is: What is the essence of technology? Does it have innate potential for goodness, in the same way as humans, nature? If humans are “created in God’s image”, and technology is a reflection of human traits, does technology therefore also reflect God’s image? Does technology lead to perfection/truth? Does technology have a destiny, in the same way that people are destined to be good, moral people if properly guided and nurtured? Or is technology a distraction from the truth, like false shadows that slaves see in Plato’s cave?
Heidegger forces us to consider the current trends in technology, and imagine what the world will be like if these trends continue for years or decades. If technology continues to get smaller and cheaper, what will it look like in ten years? Will cellphones and GPS tracking devices incorporate nano technology to be implanted into human’s brains? Will all people have equal access to affordable technology, thereby promoting a just democracy not restricted by social or economic status? Or will technology continue to divide the “haves” from the “have nots”, where the rich will continue to marvel at their latest iPhones, while the poor will have to settle for prepaid bulky cellphones and quarter-eating pay phones. (iPhone owners: Do you know how much a call costs from a pay-phone? I bet you don’t! It’s not a dime anymore.)
Heidegger challenges us to consider the question: What is the end point of these trends of technology? What will the essence of technology reveal itself to be? Will technology be our saving grace, by promoting democracy through enhanced communication and equal access to information for all peoples? Or will technology lead to the demise of societal moral norms and literacy skills? Heidegger provides no answers, he merely states the questions that lead to more questions.
Heidegger ended his book with a positive message. Human’s have the unique ability to question the status quo, change trends, and create new possibilities. This, according to Heidegger, will be our saving grace. Our critical thinking skills, our ability to learn from past mistakes, our ability to try new ideas will always allow us to control our own destiny. We control our own destiny… if we have the clairvoyance that is attained from learning from past mistakes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks, Roland. This post reminded me of a technology comment made by Pope John Paul II, so I went on a quest to dig up some stuff he wrote about technology and society. It's below, with the rest of my comment.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph suggests to me the free relationship discussed in the first paragraph of the essay. I agree wholly with what you said about us controlling our destiny (though if there is a plan in place that we execute unknowingly, well, I won’t go there, but just keep on believing that I am in charge of my life), and that our power to choose, to make decisions for either good or evil, depends on critical thinking, our ability and willingness to learn from past mistakes, and the testing new ideas with wisdom.
You have addressed a lot of issues in this post besides the saving power/grace idea. What will technology reveal its essence to be is a far reaching question, given as you have also said (in a comment on my blog), the comment made by your computer science prof in 1993 about nobody writing code anymore in the future. Will the digital divide become wider, or will technology bring about an emancipation of all people?
As a result of your play on the creation of humans “in God’s image,” I went out to look for something written by Pope John Paul II about technology and society. He had written about that more than once. In a statement made in connection with World Communications Day, May 27, 1989 (see http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2COMPU.htm), the Pope said this:
“Today, for example, one no longer thinks or speaks of social communications as mere instruments or technologies. Rather they are now seen as part of a still unfolding culture whose full implications are as yet imperfectly understood and whose potentialities remain for the moment only partially exploited.”
Sounds kind of similar to what we have been discussing, and clearly says that technology is not just a tool. Getting back to the destining, why can’t technology be destined for good? We can make it so, if we are in charge. Granted, like all gifts given by God, technology can be used for evil purposes, but in an Apostolic Letter dated January 24, 2005 (see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20050124_il-rapido-sviluppo_en.html), the Pope said this:
“Do not be afraid of new technologies! These rank “among the marvelous things” – inter mirifica – which God has placed at our disposal to discover, to use and to make known the truth, also the truth about our dignity and about our destiny as his children, heirs of his eternal Kingdom.”
So, technology can lead to truth, that is, it can help to make it known to others, whatever that truth be for those using the technology. Yet, it can be a distraction. I think it’s up to us whether technology becomes a help or hindrance in our lives. Our relationship to it must remain free. Hence, as teachers, we have a grave responsibility to teach the ways of the saving power: reflection on history, critical thinking, and how to evaluate past and current ideas. I wonder if the Pope would agree.