The Technological Society
le malaise que les nouvelles technologies nous inspirent aujourd’hui ne résulte pas d’une interrogation sur leur utilité. Le problème est plutôt l’autonomie.
Michel le Séac'H • Réussir (sa vie) grâce au minimalisme digital (French Edition)
Technology, then, is but an expression and by-product of the underlying reliance on technique, on the proceduralization whereby everything is organized and managed to function most efficiently, and directed toward the most expedient end of the highest productivity. Ellul’s own comprehensive definition is found in the preface of The Technological So... See more
theconvivialsociety.substack.com • The Limits of Optimization
Technologists rarely ask whether they’re steering us toward futures worth wanting.
The Philosopher-Builder
To formulate a theory about a future society both very modern and not dominated by industry, it will be necessary to recognize natural scales and limits. We must come to admit that only within limits can machines take the place of slaves; beyond these limits they lead to a new kind of serfdom. Only within limits can education fit people into a man-
... See moreIvan Illich • Tools for Conviviality
Postman believed that technological change tended to shape every aspect of the world around us, and that its danger was that it would set the boundaries for our thinking. The major risk Postman identified is that we might begin to accept technology as a part of nature, as though it were the inescapable way of things. We have to remember that these ... See more