DOES TECHNOLOGY ENSURE PROGRESS?

1. MODEL CASE

A) Light bulb, Wheel, Computers, Gasoline.
B) *Invention of light bulbs allowed humans to make the day longer for work and
leisure-beyond sunlight.
C)

2.CONTRARY CASE

A) Nuclear Weapon, Guns, Video Games
B) *No matter how good you become a video game, it does not improve you at all.
C)

3.BOARDERLINE CASE

A) Fertilizer, Instant Messaging, Antibiotics, Television
B)*Antibiotics or can lead to superbugs if the virus mutates.
C)

4 MODEL RESPONDENT

A) Thomas Edison, Paramedic, Business Owner, Physicist.
B) More technology means more precise research and a better understanding of the world for the world.
C)

5. INTERIOR DIALOGUE

i) COMPARATIVE CHART OF ALL CHARACTERISTICS – 3 COLUMNS

ii) SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF COMPARATIVE CHART

• Most of the characteristics for progress are positive and involve better living

• Many of the characteristics for technology contradict on another. Their ambivalence is often about whether technology is good or not.

• All characteristics for technology involve how we live and perform tasks day-to-day

• Most of the characteristics for both are about efficiency.

iii) 4 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS YOU NEED TO ADDRESS BEFORE ANSWERING
YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION OF CONCEPT

• What is meant by “freedom” when I say that both technology and progress increase individual freedom?

  • Choosing our own path or expression without prejudice.

• Does progress have to be positive?

  • If progress is subjective, then it must be positive for someone, but it may not be positive for everyone – it will depend on your perspective.

• What is meant by “good” and “evil”? Can progress be used for “evil”?

  • This also depends on perspective. Human survival, and improving human quality of life both inform what is “good”

• Does progress require innovation or novelty?

  • No – because progress can revisit old ideas.

  • No – because progress can be as simple as settling a disagreement or learning from someone’s mistake.

iv) REASONS FOR “YES”, “NO”, & “ALL DEPENDS” LIST

YES:
- Makes daily tasks easier
- Brings about new ideas
- Allows one to discover new data that was previously unattainable
- Increases globalization

NO:
- Often puts the environment and human beings at risk
- Makes people lazy
- It makes things that were once simple more complicated with unnecessary upgrades
-Some are superfluous
- The so called improved efficiency is false because of the downtime when some things are down.

ALL DEPENDS:
- whether we’re in a political, social, or economic crisis
- if we can afford it
- If progress includes spiritual or emotion factors then technology does not ensure progress
- It all depends on where you live.
- Why you think it is good or bad, either collectively as a society, or individually.
- How you use technology

v) ANSWER THE QUESTION OF CONCEPT

EXAMPLES:
- Yes, technology ensures progress.
- No it doesn’t ensure progress.
- Technology ensures progress depending on where you live or depends on your values.
- Sometime technology ensures progress depending on… and sometimes it doesn’t.

6. DEFINING THE CONCEPTS

TECHNOLOGY
1. Essential Characteristics
- Requires innovation
- Can facilitate natural process
- Makes difficult tasks easier
- Driven by creativity

2. Preliminary Definition
Technology is a set of systems procedures and tools created by human beings to facilitate completing tasks.

PROGRESS
1. Essential Characteristics
- must answer a question
- must render something obsolete
- betters society
- involves a forward movement
- requires goals
- change

2. Preliminary Definition
- Forward movement of humanity that facilitates the realization of prescribed goods.
-The inevitable constant change that drives society forward.

(the three characteristics SHOULD be in the definitions)