The Underside of High-Tech: Technology and the Deformation of Human Sensibilities (Contributions in Sociology)

This volume details the philosophical propositions of technology, illustrates its impact on various facets of social life, and demonstrates how the disruptive effects of technology can be reduced by providing it with a new philosophical base. Philosophical principles that will help to foster the responsible use of technology are developed. The contributors deal specifically with the ways in which technology shapes a person's view of politics, capital punishment, education, health and illness, work, communications, and the human body. They argue that technology tends to deanimate these aspects of life, thereby purging society of its creativity and spontaneity. Collectively, they suggest ways in which this trend can be reversed by the creation of a socially responsible technology.

JOHN W. MURPHY is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. He received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University. His present interests include social philosophy and sociological theory.

DAN A. CHEKKI is Professor of Sociology at the University of Winnipeg. His books include New Communities in a Changing World (1996), American Sociological Hegemony (1987), and Modernization and Kin Network (1974).