Controlling Technology: Contemporary Issues

Controlling Technology brings together widely conflicting views concerning the nature of modern technology as it relates to the quality of everyday life and to the larger problem of human survival on this planet. The thesis that technology has indeed become autonomous is contrasted with the position that, by its very nature, technology can only exist under human control. Thirty-four insightful essays are divided into eight parts, each with its own introduction summarizing the chapters and placing them in their appropriate contexts.

This anthology of previously published articles and book excerpts seeks to review conflicting views on the "mixed blessing" of modern technology. Editor Thompson writes, "technologies are not ethically neutral; they are designed by human beings to serve other human beings' ends. The democratic control of technology demands an understanding of the multiple, interacting, dynamic causes and reasons behind the growth and development of technology." The 33 selections are mainly written by social scientists but also include the writings of Jonathan Schell, B.F. Skinner, and Studs Terkel. Because the book has more a philosophical focus than a historical basis, it is more appropriate for an undergraduate course on technology and human values than for library collections. Lacking even a current bibliography, it leaves the general reader with more questions than answers.
- Christopher R. Jocius, Illinois Mathematics & Science Acad., Aurora
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.