Today in class I was stuck with that phrase, "technological imperative", which states that if a certain technology can be developed, it will. In this sense, technology has 'a mind of its own', per say. Even though we discussed the issue of human free will and responsibility in class today, I still do not believe that technology operates on its own. There needs to be human brain power, willpower behind these new developments.
If humans we to stop imagining, thinking, creating ideas and techniques, machines that make the world a better place, the latest developments would cease to exist. A computer cannot suddenly make decisions for us about new developments and technological advancements. Humans are behind the technology.
Here is one example: When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, this devastating technology was in the hands of humans. It was developed by humans, and the eventual decision to drop the bomb was made by humans. We can blame the technology all we want, but in the end, as someone said in class, "It just becomes another way of passing the blame onto something else and avoiding responsibility for what humankind has done". We can resist decisions like these. I have put a link below to a YouTube video Representation of the bombing of Hiroshima. Look closely at the faces of the pilots of the Enola Gay after they drop the bomb. It is almost as if they see the destruction and devastation below, recognizing that their simple action of pushing that button that released the bomb caused the terror below. The ultimate decisions was in their hands and in the hands of many others who were in the plot to make Japan surrender through the use of this technology.
The other example we mentioned in class was human cloning. Right now, there is the technology available to seemingly recreate a human being from the genetic makeup of another human being. Obviously this technology is not overtaking us right now because we have ethical and moral standards that we must adhere to in the process of science.
In the end, this force of technology is just another tool in the hands of man. A tool that is often misused, which could create chaos and destruction. But one must remember: it is not out of our hands. The technology that can destruct an entire city and kill thousands of lives began in the mind of a human being...and that is where the ultimate choice and power lies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JGu__2h5Co
