“What do you know about technology and world change?” That was a question posed by Prof to us during our self-introduction. Honestly, this subject is so diverse that my knowledge of it would probably be considered as insignificant, but just to put in my two cents worth, I think that technology and world change have a mutual effect on each other, and the outcome may not always be positive.
The theme for today’s lesson is Technology and the rise of civilisations. To start off, we were shown a short episode of ‘Guns, Germs and Steel” which threw this mind- provoking question right in our faces, "Why is it that you white people have so much cargo, but we New Guineans have so little cargo?"
The difference in the development rate could be caused by the strategic locations of the European countries which favours trade, or perhaps by the fact that the European countries have a greater pool of natural resources to tap on. In short, it is the difference in opportunities offered to them that causes this disparity.
Point aside, what abhors me is the racism practiced by the Western colonial. They believed that they are superior to the ‘blacks’ and it is only natural for them to own more cargo. I can’t help but wonder if it is technology that causes the Westerners to become arrogant and develop such a twisted mindset. Being more developed countries, they are equipped with the latest technology that allows them to enjoy a higher standard of living. Perhaps it is this advantage that made the Western colonial think that they are of a higher class.
With such a discriminating attitude, I wouldn’t be surprised if the ‘whites’ actually misuse the technology they possess to exploit the New Guineans just to maintain their status quo in the ever changing world. If so, technology has indirectly became the dividing factor between countries.
Moving on to the assigned reading ‘Cutting edge Science in the Middle East’. One question that Prof posed was ‘What factors led to the middle-east becoming a major global centre of learning, science and technology a millennium ago while much of Europe was still in the midst of the “dark ages”?’ Apart from the difference in opportunities offered (as aforementioned), could it be religion that affects the rate of progress? It was emphasised in the reading that technology rose alongside with the popularity of Islam in the Middle-East. My thought is that with a common religion, it may be easier for the scientists to convince the people to adopt a new development (e.g in the medical field) since they share a common belief. This would pave the way for speedy progress to be made in area of technology.
Key Takeaway:
Despite the obvious benefits of technology, it is not all that glamorous. It harnesses the potential of dividing the world which can escalate into hostility between countries. As such, a responsible management of technology is required to prevent this.
Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10
I enjoyed your opinion on the role of religion in the acceptance of technology :) It is true that the belief in certain religions help to promote a cause, for example Max Weber wrote of the Protestant ethic that encouraged hard work and wealth as a sign of favor from God and thus helped to promote Capitalism. However, religion can also work against technology as seen in the Catholic church's disapproval of Galileo's work. It would be interesting to see the different ways religion has been interpreted and how it has affected technology in the past and present. Perhaps you could do your individual report on this :)
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