Servants or Masters? (Blog #7)

In the opening chapters of the book, Don Ihde postulated a technology free society, the “New Eden”. In the closing pages of chapter five, however, Ihde hypothesizes a technologically “totalized” world-in other words, the opposite of the New Eden. Totalization does not necessarily refer to technology. Ihde offers the Aboriginal hope of realizing the “Dreamtime” envisions a spiritually, naturally totalized world. What interests our class most, however, is the threat, or promise of a technically totalized world. The beginnings of such a scenario are seen plainly in the fascinating (sorry Dr. McCoy, I had to say it) episode of Star Trek: “The Ultimate Computer”.

Dr. Daystrom’s incredible computer invention the “M-5” represents the climax of his research. It is so advanced that it can run a starship that normally requires up to a thousand man crew. Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and even Spock have some reservations about such a technology. Kirk first questioned his own motivations believing, perhaps, his hesitation resulted from vanity and pride. Yet a feeling he amusingly describes as a “Red alert” in his head (only Kirk) remains. It quickly becomes obvious; however, that M-5 has some ulterior, or contradictory motives. It starts taking control of the Enterprise, not simply working with its minimal crew. When the M-5 claims the life of one of Kirk’s crew, the captain decides to pull the plug, but it becomes quite difficult. The scenario is now familiar to us through a multitude of sci-fi offerings, most notably 2001: A Space Odyssey. The technology was becoming totalized. It had total power over the ship and, consequently, the crew’s lives. The M-5 thinks on its own, but not logically (as Spock noted). Daystrom eventually reveals that the computer has been imprinted with his own human brain patterns, to make it think more like a human. Daystrom solved the common criticism of his machines that they couldn’t “think like men”. Unfortunately, though, M-5 was still a machine and with its illogical component, a very dangerous one; one that ultimately claims many lives.

What I found most interesting in this episode was Daystrom’s reason for inventing M-5. He wanted it to protect human life by taking dangerous work from humans and allowing them to engage in more important pursuits (philosophy perhaps?). Like so many inventions designed to facilitate peace and happiness, it actually created disaster. Daystrom may seem deranged and extreme, but we all, in some way, have something in common with him. The “promise” of technology we have discussed, envisions a future in which technology has become so advanced and pervasive that human beings can live like Adam did—perfection, contentment, no labor and no disease. It is ironic, then, that both the technologically totalized world and the un-technical world both converge in Eden. At least for Daystrom, the ultimate goal of technology is to free humans and allow them to live a life of contentment. As the Star Trek episode suggests, this is not possible.

The M-5, for all of its technical brilliance, failed to achieve Daystrom’s utopian goal and actually created a dystopian situation. In his treatment of alterity relations, Don Ihde makes it clear that it is impossible for technology to become a true “other” as the M-5 almost did. Ihde believes that it is impossible for technology to become both human and technological. In other words, there is a point at which technical advancement must halt. Or, at least, it will become impossible to tell the difference between humans and technology. Hopefully, this is not possible. As Spock so aptly noted, computers, and technology in general, “make excellent and efficient servants”, but no one would like to “serve under them”.