TECHNOLOGY - An Essay

TECHNOLOGYHuman needs and values change through time as
An Essaytechnology advances.
ByMan tends to accept the fruits of new technology
VIKRAM KARVEmore readily (satisfaction, happiness, comfort) whereas
DEFINITION OF TECHNOLOGYhe is reluctant to accept changes in his personal life.
In our everyday lives, most of us use a number ofThus, social and cultural changes always lag behind
words that we assume have a universal, agreed-upon,technology causing a mismatch and disconnect which
and accepted meaning for all people in all contexts.consequently leads to unhappiness, dissatisfaction, pain
Often, the more frequently the word is used, the moreand suffering (emotional) and concomitant lowering of
we take for granted that our usage is the only possiblethe value of human life.
usage of the term.A crude but practical way of classifying human values
One such popular word freely bandied about and veryis to divide needs into those that are essentially
much in-vogue jargon now-a-days isphysiological and those that are psychological.
“technology”.Most new technologies cater to the physiological
Let us explore the meaning of the wordaspect by performing Dangerous, Dirty, or Difficult jobs
“technology”.(the 3 D’s) thereby enhancing the value of human
The word "technology" comprises two parts -life.
"technikos" & "ology"As regards the psychological aspect, an example
The historical derivation of the term technology comespertaining to Information Technology (IT) may be in
from the Greek word technikos, meaning “of art,order.
skillful, practical.”Information Technology (IT) caters to two unique
The portion of the word ology indicates“knowledgecategories of psychological needs of humans:
of” or a “systematic treatment of.”Cognitive Needs – which refer to the human need
Thus, the literal verbatim derivation of the termfor information so as to be ready to act or make
technology is literally “knowledge of the skilful anddecisions that may be required, and
practical.”Affective Needs – which refer to the emotional
However, this definition is too general in nature and werequirements of human, such as their need to do
have to transcend this narrow view of technologychallenging work, to know their work has value, to feel
since every technology starts from a human purpose,personally secure, and to be in control.
from the intention to satisfy some human need orUndue emphasis on cognitive needs and consequent
behaviour.neglect of affective needs may cause emotional pain
Indeed, technology is the manipulation of nature forthat counterbalances the gains from technology and
human purpose – yes, manipulation of nature, so letthis may be detrimental to the “value of human
us use a slightly different definition of technology.life” as a whole.
We will define technology as the knowledge of theTECHNOLOGY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
manipulation of nature for human purposes.Effects and Consequences of Technology
This definition retains the notions of both knowledgeIn our haste to milk technology for immediate economic
and practicality (human purposes) but adds the newadvantage, we often lose sight of the long-term
concept of manipulation of nature.consequences: the higher order and indirect effects,
This implies that all practical or technical skills ultimatelyespecially the delayed and unintended effects of
derive from alterations or manipulation of nature.technology.
Technology depends on a base in the natural worldThe Sorenson multiple effect network methodology is
(Science) but extends the natural world through thea useful technique for an analyzing the impact and
phenomenon of manipulation (Engineering).consequences of technology.
Since we want to manipulate nature, the ability toLet us introduce the term malefit to represent harmful
predict what nature will do when manipulated is mosteffects and consequences of a technology in contrast
useful, indeed imperative.with benefit as a useful output.
ETHICS OF TECHNOLOGYWe may categorize the consequences of a
By our very definition, technology manipulates naturetechnology [Effects vs Consequences] as:
for human purposes.EFFECTS CONSEQUENCES
Technology manipulates nature.(i)         First
Man is a part of nature.Order                 
By manipulating nature, man manipulates himself.:           Benefits
Thus, technology manipulates man, influences, even(ii)        Second Order             
governs human behaviour, and in turn impinges on:           Direct Malefits
societal behaviour, traditions and culture.(iii)       Third Order                
Technology is an entity that intervenes in the life of:           Indirect Malefits
human beings in multifarious ways, directly or indirectly,(iv)       Fourth Order              
trying to alter behaviours.:           Unintended Malefits
Thus, Technology has an Ethical Dimension.(v)        Fifth
The very raison d’etre of technology is humanOrder                 
purpose.:           Delayed Malefits
What is the fundamental purpose of human life?Such analyses definitely help in assessing the impact
Is it to increase standard of living?of various consequences of a technology on the value
Is it to improve quality of life?of human life in the long-term perspective in holistic
Or is it to have greater satisfaction in life?manner.
We can distill all these various aspects into a singleEarly identification of factors detrimental to the value
holistic concept: VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE.of human life may prove useful in technology impact
Thus, the cardinal aim of technology is to enhance theassessment to reduce mismatches and smoothen out
value of human life.incongruities.
TECHNOLOGY and the VALUE OF HUMAN LIFECONCLUSION
Let us define the value of human life as the balance orWe must not lose sight of our basic premise that the
ratio between satisfaction or happiness and pain orcardinal aim of technology is to increase the value of
suffering.human life by maximising happiness and minimising
In the context of this definition, the ultimate purpose ofsuffering.
technology is to enhance the value of human life, withEthical Technology Management comprises a
a long-term perspective, by maximization of happinessharmonious blend of rational thinking and empathic
and satisfaction and a concomitant reduction orunderstanding wherein one studies, analyses and
minimization of pain and suffering (physical, mental andmitigates the conflicting interplay between human
emotional).cognitive and affective processes.
As a generalization, people want a better life.It may be apt to conclude with a comment by RM
A better life may usually mean things like freedomPirsig, who states that, “The way to solve the
from want, access to and possession of at leastconflict between human values and technological
some of the “nonessentials”, comforts orneeds is not to run away from technology. That is
luxuries, good health, a reasonable life expectancy, theimpossible. The way to resolve the conflict is to break
absence of emotional stress, satisfying human relationsdown the barriers of dualistic thought that prevent a
(resulting from gratifying work experience andreal understanding of what technology is… not an
meaningful interpersonal relationships), intellectualexploitation of nature, but a fusion of nature and the
stimulation, and personally rewarding leisure activities.human spirit into a new kind of creation that
HUMAN NEEDS and VALUEStranscends both”.