Thesis and Major Points
The article discusses three ways in which humans associate with technology based on their understanding. The thesis is that humans interpret technology in terms of ancient skepticism, enlightenment optimism, and romantic uneasiness. The human reasoning, understanding, or interpretation of technology based on the need to use is varied. The idea of what existed earlier between technology and humans is ambiguous. Therefore, instead of discussing how humans were introduced to technology or how technology was introduced to humans, the author focuses on how humans understand technology while meeting their technology needs.
One of the three major points is that the ancient age generation understood technology with skepticism. The ancient perspective of technology is that it is a way to turn away from God or gods by replacing the natural way of handling things (Mitcham 524). The earliest relationship between humanity and technics is that although technology is necessary, it is dangerous. It is seen as a way of turning away from faith or the will of God whether in the way of providence or nature. Ethically, the technical influence on humans tends to undermine people’s virtues (Mitcham 525). The relationship between humanity and technics weakens political stability and that technical information is not true. As opposed to natural objects, technological artifacts are unreal and require external guidance. However, Renaissance and Enlightenment-era have different perspectives on the relationship between humans and technology.
Enlightenment optimism way looks at the relationship from a positive angle where technology makes human life easier. Technology is ordained by God or its nature’s way of simplifying human life (Mitcham 527). Another point of this argument is that the will of technology from a personal perspective is to help individuals socialize. Socially, technical activities enable the growth of the economy by creating public wealth (Mitcham 528). Lastly, engaging with the world through technology yields true knowledge to view artifacts and nature from the same angle. Enlightenment ideology is the most certain and positive way of being with technology.
The third is through romantic uneasiness or the ambiguous interpretation of the technology will. Through this aspect, technology is about creativity which gives rise to many other ideas. Technology has brought transformative aspects of economy, politics, society and many others hence is a long-lasting way of human improvement (Mitcham 529). However, if misused, technology can endanger human privacy and weaken social bonds of affection. From the technical knowledge view, vision and imagination are essential but artifacts expand the life process and unveil success. The three main points show the technological understanding of people from different ages or levels of evolution.
The Reason for Discussing the Main Points
The most interesting part of discussing these ideas is that each way of being with technology represents a certain percentage of people in the world. Depending on their level of evolution, different people understand technical activities differently. The will of technology is proved to the world through many ways in which humans benefit. However, it is not guaranteed that these people see technology from a positive perspective. According to Mitcham, the ancient skepticism for so many years prevented growth in terms of social, political, and economic development (525). However, despite the rising of enlightenment and associated development, there are still people who use technology from the ancient skeptical perspective. Multiple determinants of evolution, including demographic location, level of education, and cultural beliefs, significantly contribute to such a state of mind.
It is also exciting to learn more about this topic because I have undergone the three steps of being with technology. I view them as steps because as I grew up socially and education-wise, I evolved from the ancient skepticism, through enlightenment optimism to romantic uneasiness ways of being with technology. I feel that I understand the importance of technical activities, the benefits they offer to humans, creativity concerns, and the compilations involved. There are reasons why people choose to be with technology in certain ways despite being educated. There is the need to dig deep into why being with technology is complicated from different perspectives. Thus, discussing the major points of the topic would not only be eye-opening but also a way to question the existing knowledge about the same.
Critical Questions to Explore in Class
One of the most critical questions to ask when discussing the topic is, what are some factors that make humans be with technology differently? Other questions are; how does the knowledge from this topic impact individual understanding of human relations with technology? Why is it necessary to learn about this topic at this particular moment? Since the world population is divided into three ways, which way might be highly populated? Why? Why would the author explore these ways of being with technology with much deeper meaning? With the increasing creativity brought by technology, could there emerge another way of being with technology in the future? Finally, how clear are the main points to the general audience?
Connections to Rhetoric and Philosophy of Technology
An essential connection of this discussion to rhetoric and philosophy technology is based on how people talk about technology. Rhetoric and philosophy of technology focus on how creators and consumers of technology make decisions and talk about technology alongside its influence as a whole. This topic connects with the field in the consumer discussion of technology and its influence. Three ways of being with technology is an expression of what the consumers talk about technology and its influence on discourse. The interpretation of the relationship between technics and humans is discussed in this topic based on what people say.
From a rhetoric and philosophical angle, technology consumers say that it is necessary but dangerous. They also say that it is a God’s or nature way of making human life easy and that it entails creativity. In addition, consumers feel that technology can endanger human life when used inappropriately. Technology consumers find technical activities to help build the economy and political stability from the optimistic view. Their opinions are based on their beliefs and experiences with technology.
The topic also discusses the influence of technology, especially in communication. Socializing using technology is made easier, but at the same time, it eliminates emotional attachment. These influences indicate the negative side of technology and why some people may be skeptical about it. A higher appreciation is given to the creativity that comes with technics and the fact that today’s world is run under such influence. In other words, technological aspects of communication and culture are discussed in the chapter hence creating a huge connection with rhetoric and philosophy of technology.
Work Cited
Mitcham, Carl. “Three Ways of Being with Technology.” Philosophy of Technology, edited by Robert Scharff and Val Dusek, 2014, pp. 523-535.