Technology assessment from the stance of a medieval historian
Lynn Τ. White
ON OCTOBER 13, 1972, the American federal government established in Washington an Office of Technology Assessment to advise Congress on legislative problems related new technology and its probable impact. This act reflects ambivalence toward engineering innovation that has been rare during last thousand years Occidental culture which we are part. Both pagan Christian antiquity, course, had dubious about technology. St. Augustine, most penetrating mind a groping age, expressed amazement at ingenuity variety arts, yet feared good coming from them may be counterbalanced by evil so many poisons, weapons military machines addition stiperfluities vanities.' The Latin Middle Ages, contrast, developed almost entirely affirmative view techinological improvement. attitude is clearly detectable early ninth century, 1450 advance become explicitly connected with virtues: it was integral ethos West.2 People organized into cultures basic presuppositions-often unverbalized-that they share: their axioms. They ptit intelligence, energy, money what corporately consider good. results as varied majestic pyramids pharaonic Egypt, sadistic games arenas Roman West, family-centering, but globally focused, television sets contemporary industrialized world. Medieval Europe came believe technological progress part God's will for man. result increasing thrust invention extrapolated, without interruption or down-curve, our present society.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change