ponents ▁of ▁ide ologies ▁such ▁as ▁trans human ism ▁and ▁te ch no - progress iv ism ▁view ▁continued ▁techn ological ▁progress ▁as ▁benef icial ▁to ▁society ▁and ▁the ▁human ▁condition . ▁ ▁Definition ▁and ▁usage ▁▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" techn ology " ▁has ▁changed ▁significantly ▁over ▁the ▁last ▁ 2 0 0 ▁years . ▁Before ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁term ▁was ▁un common ▁in ▁English , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁either ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁description ▁or ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁useful ▁arts ▁or ▁to ▁all ude ▁to ▁technical ▁education , ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁( char tered ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ). ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" techn ology " ▁rose ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁Second ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution . ▁The ▁term ' s ▁mean ings ▁changed ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁when ▁American ▁social ▁scient ists , ▁beginning ▁with ▁Thor stein ▁V eb len , ▁translated ▁ideas ▁from ▁the ▁German ▁concept ▁of ▁Techn ik ▁into ▁" techn ology ." ▁In ▁German ▁and ▁other ▁European ▁languages , ▁a ▁distinction ▁exists ▁between ▁techn ik ▁and ▁techn ologie ▁that ▁is ▁absent ▁in ▁English , ▁which ▁usually ▁transl ates ▁both ▁terms ▁as ▁" techn ology ." ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁" techn ology " ▁referred ▁not ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁industrial ▁arts ▁but ▁to ▁the ▁industrial ▁arts ▁themselves . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1