Technopoly, by Neil Postman
Technopoly is a state of culture and of the mind and “consists in the deification of technology, which means that the culture seeks its authorization in technology.” (p. 71, Technopoly)
Neil Postman calls us to examine technology, new and old; to look at why each is or was developed and to reflect on what has changed because of it. Too often, he says, new technologies are not critiqued because we believe any techological progress is good, necessary, and inevitable.
But what have we lost in the process? Much, says Postman. He mentions information overload so that unless one is an expert, there can hardly be a proper critique of ideas. With the information overload then comes a need for more control of information which leads to more and more bureaucracy. Medical diagnosis become trusting machines over observation and disregards mental or emotional states as factors in health. He mentions computers as furthering the reduction of humans to machines with yes or no responses. Even education, Postman argues, allows irrelevant technologies to change learning, such as IQ tests which do little to grade real intelligence but rather pick out those whose thought patterns follow a technological line of reasoning. He critiques polls and statistics for displacing the real issues or answers to real questions, especially in politics.
Interestingly, the World Wide Web gained its size and importance after this book was written. The Internet and the web creates other questions, specifically that we haven’t asked what the Internet meant or what it is changing and whether we should let it make those changes or not. Yet the Internet also has allowed for computers to connect people and create community, in opposition to reducing people to machines.
The picture Postman paints of a loss of culture and increase in bureaucracy without any thought to control the rapid changes technology forces is not very optimistic. He can only envision an education system that teaches history of all subjects, including technology, as a way to view the larger picture of the world, and the ascent of humanity in it, as a way to stop this slide. History of science and art and literature can help to see what has changed because of technology additions. Postman wants critical thinking teachers to help students think critically about the world.
But without a moral or religious framework how can we say something is right or wrong? Would Postman use the ascent of humanity to provide the moral backing for value statements?
The modern world with its dichotomy that splits science from religion is breaking down as we move further into post-modernity. I’m not convinced the ascent of humanity can bring about the cohesion that has been lost. Perhaps something more wholistic, with religion and science integrated could provide a balanced framework to dethrone technology.