Technological determinism
Origin: Gr. τεχνολογικός, Lat. determināre, -ismus, Gr. -ισμός
In studies of the mechanisms by which societies evolve, the view that technology is all-important in determining values, culture and social structure. Those holding this view say succinctly: “Technology determines history.” But how does technology itself evolve? Does society have control over the directions in which technology changes in the future or is society destined to be immersed in whatever technology offers. The questions gain great significance when technology becomes very powerful and its impacts irreversible.
Spanish: Determinismo tecnológico
Sources and references
- Leo Marx and Merritt Roe Smith, "Introduction," Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism, ed. Marx and Smith (Cambridge, MA and London: The MIT Press, 1994), p. xiiview
- Slaughter, Richard A. “Glossary of future terms.”cited 79 times
Term connections
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