3 ms·

What was the origin of that quote? I mentioned it offhand in conversation the other day but couldn't remember where I'd heard it.

Torgo 10y ago
I improvised it from Michel Foucault.
tome 10y ago
Are you perhaps thinking of "Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Kranzberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Kranzberg
dredmorbius 10y ago
I'm familar with it from Jerry Mander, Neil Postman, and Joyce and Michael Heusemann, who address it specifically and at length in their book Techno-Fix. Also in Marshall McLuhan (of whom Postman was a student). I think you'll find a philosophical basis in Jaques Ellul among others (Foucalt is also mentioned). From Postman: [E]very technology has an inherent bias. It has within its physical form a predisposition toward being used in certain ways and not others. Only those who know nothing of the history of technology believe that a technology is entirely neutral. French philosopher Jacques Ellul, who... ...cautions that technology brings with it a great number of unforeseen effects [4]. This is because “technology leads a double life, one which conforms to the intentions of designers and interests of power and another which contradicts them—proceeding behind the backs of their architects to yield unintended consequences and unintended possibilities” [5]. It is difficult then for us to control what we cannot always see. http://www.helwyssocietyforum.com/?p=1360 http://www.helwyssocietyforum.com/?p=1360 There's a related concept of Technological Determinism, originating with Thorstein Veblen: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_determinism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_determinism More reading: http://www.worldcat.org/title/techno-fix-why-technology-wont-save-us-or-the-environment/oclc/709681580&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/techno-fix-why-technology-wont... http://www.worldcat.org/title/four-arguments-for-the-elimination-of-television/oclc/3240263&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/four-arguments-for-the-elimina... http://www.worldcat.org/title/technopoly-the-surrender-of-culture-to-technology/oclc/24694343&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/technopoly-the-surrender-of-cu... http://www.worldcat.org/title/this-is-marshall-mcluhan-the-medium-is-the-message/oclc/2998154&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/this-is-marshall-mcluhan-the-m...

Torgo 10y ago

I improvised it from Michel Foucault.

tome 10y ago

Are you perhaps thinking of "Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Kranzberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Kranzberg

dredmorbius 10y ago

I'm familar with it from Jerry Mander, Neil Postman, and Joyce and Michael Heusemann, who address it specifically and at length in their book Techno-Fix. Also in Marshall McLuhan (of whom Postman was a student). I think you'll find a philosophical basis in Jaques Ellul among others (Foucalt is also mentioned). From Postman: [E]very technology has an inherent bias. It has within its physical form a predisposition toward being used in certain ways and not others. Only those who know nothing of the history of technology believe that a technology is entirely neutral. French philosopher Jacques Ellul, who... ...cautions that technology brings with it a great number of unforeseen effects [4]. This is because “technology leads a double life, one which conforms to the intentions of designers and interests of power and another which contradicts them—proceeding behind the backs of their architects to yield unintended consequences and unintended possibilities” [5]. It is difficult then for us to control what we cannot always see. http://www.helwyssocietyforum.com/?p=1360 http://www.helwyssocietyforum.com/?p=1360 There's a related concept of Technological Determinism, originating with Thorstein Veblen: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_determinism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_determinism More reading: http://www.worldcat.org/title/techno-fix-why-technology-wont-save-us-or-the-environment/oclc/709681580&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/techno-fix-why-technology-wont... http://www.worldcat.org/title/four-arguments-for-the-elimination-of-television/oclc/3240263&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/four-arguments-for-the-elimina... http://www.worldcat.org/title/technopoly-the-surrender-of-culture-to-technology/oclc/24694343&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/technopoly-the-surrender-of-cu... http://www.worldcat.org/title/this-is-marshall-mcluhan-the-medium-is-the-message/oclc/2998154&referer=brief_results http://www.worldcat.org/title/this-is-marshall-mcluhan-the-m...