Lecture 20 Flashcards
(48 cards)
Who was Samuel Florman and what did he believe?
An engineer who believed technological progress is the ultimate measure of human development.
What is technological determinism?
The belief that technology shapes society independently of human influence or values.
How did Florman view engineers?
As purely internal creators driven by passion, not external pressures like money or politics.
What is a common excuse used to deflect ethical responsibility in engineering?
“Technology has no moral dimension—it depends how it’s used.”
What does Ray Kurzweil promote?
The concept of the technological singularity where AI becomes autonomous from humans.
What is the singularity in AI?
A state where AI evolves independently, learning from itself and from other AIs.
Which AI is considered a milestone toward singularity?
ChatGPT, which can talk to and learn from other AI-generated content.
What does Brian Arthur claim about technology?
That it is autopoietic—self-creating and self-sustaining without human involvement.
What did Lewis Mumford warn about technology?
That endless technological progress could eliminate humanity, linking it to biological determinism.
Who were the Luddites and what did they actually believe?
Skilled workers opposing the destruction of their domestic way of life—not technology itself.
How are Luddites misrepresented in popular culture?
As anti-technology fools, which distorts their true social and economic concerns.
What conflict did the Luddites highlight?
Factory profits vs. domestic cultural and social traditions.
What happened to the Luddites in 1812?
Over 14,000 troops were sent to suppress 200 protesters, effectively ending their movement.
What law did Britain pass after the Luddite uprising?
Destroying a machine became punishable by death—machines were given legal rights.
How is this law relevant today?
It parallels current discussions around AI and machine rights.
What was Jacques Ellul’s view on technology?
That we are controlled by it and blind to its effects on our lives.
What analogy does Ellul use to describe society?
Like Plato’s cave, where people see only shadows and mistake them for reality.
What is the central message of Plato’s cave allegory?
People mistake distorted images for truth because they can’t see beyond their limited perspective.
What did Neil Postman write about in ‘Technopoly’?
The hidden trade-offs of technology and how it transforms societies.
What is Postman’s first key idea about technology?
All technology is a trade-off; when you gain something, you also lose something.
What is Postman’s second key point?
Technology always transforms society—it’s never neutral.
What is Postman’s third key idea?
We are now obedient to technology; it dictates how we live.
What does Postman mean by ‘tools of our tools’?
We’ve become controlled by the technology we created.
What is scientism?
Accepting science as the sole authority on how to live, feel, or behave—without question.
