Module Two: The Process of Technological Change

Technology and Change

The most familiar example of the rate of change in the modern world is the computer. As a tool, the computer allows us to store and manipulate information and data at a rate never before imagined. Its uses extend beyond our imagination as well. Consider the words of Thomas Watson, Chariman of IBM, who in 1943 said: "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."With this incredible tool, progress in fields such as medicine, biotechnology, and all of the engineering disciplines has dramatically increased. Fantastic wealth has been created in recent years using (and selling) computers and software.However, the computer is not the only example of a technology that has vastly changed the pace of progress. Others, such as the printing press, the railroad, the automobile, the airplane, the telephone, and the Internet come to mind. All have resulted in opening new doors of opportunity and contributed to the spread of technology, across geographic and cultural boundaries. Until the railroad opened up the West, the movement of population outward from the coastal areas was extremely slow in the United States. Railroads meant faster, safer travel. They were a means of expanding markets by shipping greater amounts of goods from one area to another. Markets were no longer local. Perishables could be sold over long distances. The movement of people and raw materials decreased dependence on limited, highly favorable habitats. The automobile opened up the entire country to the population, connecting towns and villages with cities. Whole new industries sprang up, creating still other industries in an orgy of growth that did not slow down until midway through the twentieth century. The airplane meant faster travel for passengers. This was accompanied by increases in the efficient use of time, particularly in business, and in the growth of holiday travel, which caused still other industries to flourish. In each of these cases, the speed with which progress was made was magnified. By facilitating the spread of technology, whole societal structures were created.

Technology and Progress

Not all change, however, can be classified as progress. In fact, the concept of progress is a debated issue itself. How would you define progress? Leo Marx, in a classic article entitled "Does Improved Technology Mean Progress?" (Technology Review, January 1987, pp. 33-41, 71) raises the question as to whether or not progress and technology can be equated.The following is a summary of Marx's article from Dr. Michele Svatos at Iowa State University:
Many people today assume automatically that technology is progress. Still, there is some criticism of this view in America, partially because of 20th century wars and arms races. Marx visited China in 1984, and it seemed as though the Chinese were incredibly optimistic about western technology, and had little sense of any problems that technology might create. Early Americans like Ben Franklin saw technology as a means of achieving social and political liberation for the masses; it was part of the revolt from authoritarianism. If some technology, especially the factory system, would jeopardize these social and political goals, then that thing isn't worth its price in quality of life and should be rejected.

America became more industrialized, the new industrialists who had both money and power came to see the technology which they helped produce as an end in itself, or as a means to more purely economic ends. They used phrases like "manifest destiny" and "the conquest of nature" to help justify the increasing forces of technology, even at the cost of the environment or Native Americans, all in the name of "civilization." Technological advancement was seen as advancement, period, regardless of what social and political changes it might bring. There was a great deal of optimism that if we continued to make scientific innovations, the rest--quality of life, and social and political ideals--would take care of itself automatically. The "technocratic" ideal, which sees everything as parts of the machine, began to take control, and humanitarian goals like justice, freedom, and self-fulfillment became secondary. Technology was accepted unquestioningly, and efficiency and scientific progress were the main goals. This is the stage that the Chinese seem to be at, says Marx.
However, there was some backlash from the technocratic view. Emerson, Thoreau, and others questioned whether we were remaking America for the better, and whether we were beginning to almost worship technology. However, it was hard to take this too seriously when rapid improvements were being made in the material conditions of life. Today, as we're becoming aware of some of the unintended effects of technology, many people are starting to wonder if technology is always a good thing. Is technology better used as a tool for social and political progress, or is it instead an end in itself? Moreover, can technology (for example, SDI) cure all of our social and political problems? The early notion of progress which saw technology as a mere means to more important ends provided natural limits and a way of assessing particular pieces of technology.