I’VE BEEN ENJOYING A NEW SERIES ON HBO, “Silicon Valley.” It is produced by Mike Judge, the man who made the 1999 cult hit “Office Space.”
A running gag on the show is the conceit among the titans of tech that their inventions are “making the world a better place.” This idea ought to resonate not just with techies, but with all of us. The idea that technological progress is synonymous with human progress pervades American discourse — but while this idea can be (and is) taken to absurd and even utopian extremes, it is also not exactly nonsense.
Consider: In the last 100 years, electricity has transformed domestic life. In the days of washboards, wringers and clotheslines, doing laundry could mean hours of work. Add to that the task of cleaning a house without the benefit of modern appliances like vacuum cleaners, electric floor buffers and automatic dishwashers, and pretty quickly you are looking at more hours of daily work.
The invention and, after the disruptions of the Great Depression and World War II, wide availability of those previously mentioned appliances meant that tasks that once took hours of work by (usually) women — housewives or the domestic servants of the wealthy — were now done in a matter of minutes.
This had a transformative effect on American society. Large numbers of women could now advance their educations and enter the paid workforce. The resulting economic power provided women with unprecedented leverage in their homes. When men were the bread winners, it seemed natural that they would be the ones to manage the economic affairs of the household as well. Once women were free to enter the workforce, the result was decades of social upheaval, and we are still experiencing echoes of that transformation today.
So, I am in no way denying that technology can make the world a better place, nor that it can be socially transformative. That said, there is a tendency in America, and especially in Silicon Valley, to assign an almost spiritual significance to technology that is at best naïve, and at worst utopian (and sometimes worryingly undemocratic and authoritarian — I’ll probably write more about that in a future column).
It is worth reflecting on what exactly we’re talking about when we discuss “technology.” Wikipedia gives a good working definition:
“Technology (from Greek τέχνη, techne, ‘art, skill, cunning of hand’; and -λογία, -logia) is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function.”
So, technology is just our means and methods of solving problems. By this definition, both a hammer and an oil refinery are technology — hammers drive nails, and refineries take the sulfurous gunk that is crude oil and make it into gasoline, motor oil, plastics and so forth. Both can do good things: hammers can build a school, and jet fuel can power a cargo plane bringing relief to victims of a famine or flood. Both can do bad things: a hammer can be used as a weapon in the commission of a crime, and refineries can produce one of the more dreadful weapons of modern warfare: napalm.
Dr. Martin Luther King can be of help here: “Modern man has brought this whole world to an awe-inspiring threshold of the future. He has reached new and astonishing peaks of scientific success. He has produced machines that think and instruments that peer into the unfathomable ranges of interstellar space. He has built gigantic bridges to span the seas and gargantuan buildings to kiss the skies. His airplanes and spaceships have dwarfed distance, placed time in chains, and carved highways through the stratosphere. This is a dazzling picture of modern man’s scientific and technological progress.
“Yet, in spite of these spectacular strides in science and technology, and still unlimited ones to come, something basic is missing. There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.
“Every man lives in two realms, the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live. Our problem today is that we have allowed the internal to become lost in the external. We have allowed the means by which we live to outdistance the ends for which we live. So much of modern life can be summarized in that arresting dictum of the poet Thoreau: ‘Improved means to an unimproved end.’ This is the serious predicament, the deep and haunting problem confronting modern man. If we are to survive today, our moral and spiritual ‘lag’ must be eliminated. Enlarged material powers spell enlarged peril if there is not proportionate growth of the soul. When the ‘without’ of man’s nature subjugates the ‘within,’ dark storm clouds begin to form in the world.”
Matt Talbot is a writer and poet, as well as an old Benicia hand. He works for a tech start-up in San Francisco.
Sharing is caring!
Matt justy what world ARE
Sorry Matt got distracted. Got a call from a very important national Republican. Back to the subject. I am glad you write your utopian articles. Most folks know it is only words and no common sence or resolutions. Matt you are all over the board and not at all productive. I sure hope you are paid by a grant or else you are out of work. Matt all you do is complain. No sol;utions only slam the successful folks which apparently you are not. Do all of us a favor and in a very short statement just tell us what you are all about. Your story goes back many years and all you do is repeat what you read. Matt, no solutions. Matt who does your laundry, meals or any other daily necessity. You do confuse me. I think Matt that you, Shelby, Bray, Rifkin . Fallon and all the poets in town should get together and try to come up with some solutions. Very tired of all the words from you folks. CAN ANYONE IMAGINE THIS GROUP GOING TO DINNER AND TRYING TIO ORDER LET ALONE PAY. THINK ABOUT THAT. iT WOULD BE A COMEDY DELIGHT.
You are on a roll tonight Bob!
LOL
You who have never offered a solution to anything. You offer nothing but bile. Benicia will rejoice when you are gone, like we did the day Lund lumbered out of here.
I was amazed that Matt was able to write an article devoid of commentary about the downfall of Richmond, Ca..
Good job!
The specious and contemptuous words, often with bad grammar and misspellings, about this thoughtful article, full of wonderful ideas and depth, is a terrific example of what Mr. Talbot is talking about. If we don’t begin to see how spiritually and creatively bankrupt we are becoming, we are doomed. For what is the purpose of “saving our civilization” if civilization does not mean our “art, literature, morals, and religion?” The knee-jerk contempt of these comments, rather than taking time to really THINK about what he is saying, is sad and shows a lack of intellect and creative thinking.
Thanks for the nice words. I know you read my comments and cannot get by your poor taste of understanding what the real issues are. Very sad.
“cannot get by your poor taste of understanding what the real issues are.” Nice word salad bozo.
H H you must have a very poor reading ability. I offer solutions all the time with the few exceptions when I do like to come back at our local Socialist. Radicals. You top the list.You are the one I love to get upset. It brings out your only ability. That is name calling.
We have yet to figure out your ability. Running out of time.
I guess H H if I was into name calling I would have one for you other than Socialist Radical which is only political identificatiion. H H you are ,very predictible.
By the way H H the CCA bill went down in the Democrat controlled Senate. It got hammered. So as tyou see H H I do present solutiions and this one now goes to the Senate. Even you4r State Assembly rep voted it out. So as tyou can see she even was looking out for the residents. Ity should never have been OOPT OUT it should always hAVE
By the way H H the State Assemply just shot down the Opt Out opton and it now goes to the Senate. Even our local State Assembly person voted for the change. That will not make your beloved Mayor very happy. So as you see H H I do offer solutions and all but a very few times I am correct H H.
Jfurlong stated: The specious and contemptuous words, often with bad grammar and misspellings… The knee-jerk contempt of these comments… is sad and shows a lack of intellect…
Bob is just a loveable ol’fuzz ball compared to the mongrel tire biters that spew venom with virtually each posting they (I count five and you are not amongst them) make.
Consider Has Bob:
Ever been suspended by the moderator?
Hidden behind a made up name? (See comment below)
Had his posting activity banned?
Have his posts deleted for offensive content?
Has he ever directly targeted specific people for continuous personal attacks in a vile and contemptible manner?
Ever suggested that violence be directed at those with whom he disagrees?
All of the above are actions have occurred or are ongoing (though reduced of late) by those who generally consider themselves to be reasonable and open minded people. Until such time that moderate people on the left side ( I am including you in the small group) of the fence condemn the ‘usual suspects’, comments such as the one made above do not carry much weight.
DDL
Note: When this board first started I posted a few times under the name “Paul Lazzaro” (a character from Slaughterhouse Five) after discussions with the editor, it was determined that posting under a false name could lead to confusion.
I often see Bob walking to his destinations around town, reducing his carbon footprint. He should be commended for helping the environment and not ridiculed as many do