Benefits of Technological Progress to Society
Benefits of Technological Progress to Society
Throughout history, technological innovations have helped humankind improve their standards of living, beginning with the simple invention of bone tools of prehistoric times, continuing on to and beyond modern air conditioners, automobiles, and super computers. For nearly half of the twentieth century, Robert Moses seized upon the opportunities of technology. Moses believed in the power of technology and the inevitability of change, and he felt that it was always important to accomplish the task at hand. Following these principals, Moses eventually became one of the most powerful people in New York City, and shaped New York City during the middle part of the twentieth century. However, Moses’s power did not last, and his boldness eventually led to loss of public support, and eventually his loss of power. Moses’s life highlights several issues connected with evolving technology, especially the relationship between technological progress and social progress, the question of whether or not social problems can be solved with technological fixes, and the emergence of Moses as a tragic hero.
Technological progress and social progress are related, but there are differing views on the extent of the relationship. Emmanuel Mesthene presents three general viewpoints on this relationship in his writing. The first is that technology is “the motor of all progress” and that it is a great blessing to society. He also puts forth a more pessimistic view that describes technology as an uncontrollable curse on society. His own personal view, combines the two by saying that technology can, and most likely will, lead to social change, however, there will be both positive and negative consequences accompanying the technology and the resulting change (Mesthene, p. 61-69). Volti presents the idea that technological progress is not the same as general progress, although he also believes that technological change does produce social change. He argues that a society can use, and even develop, advanced technologies without advancing in other areas. He points out the example of Nazi Germany and the fact that while they had great advances in automobiles and invented the V-2 rocket, their nature and treatment of other people can only be described as barbaric (Volti, p. 10, 31). While the world viewed the Nazi’s as inhumane and regressive, to the Nazi’s their ideology was the most righteous of all causes, and they used their...