Study On The Criticism On Technological Criticism

There are two completely opposite views about modern technology, one being technological optimism represented by positivism and the other being technological pessimism charactered by ecologism. The former is grounded on modern technology's enormous moving power for the advance of social civilization especially the economic growth. The latter criticizes modern technological disasters including the post-war nuclear war, cloning as well as ecologic and environmental deterioration from various aspects. What kind of attitude we take toward these two views and the debate between them has something to do with the future vision of the world. It should be said that there is truth in both views, and the key point lies in how we look at the question. The thesis being titled "Criticism on Technological Criticism " doesn't mean that the author is in favor of technological optimism because, in fact, any logic of one being right and the other being wrong concerning the already-complicated-and-systematized modern technology will definitely be beaten. Therefore, the thesis is attempting to construct a dialectic logic about modern technology through thinking over the current-existing technological criticism theories.Beginning with the myth of Prometheus Stealing Fire, the thesis considers the "Fire" as the symbol of the origin of technology and of technology's importance to man's survival, from which it is deduced that technology itself symbolizes power and pride, which just are the thought source of the argument of technological optimism. After this, the thesis looks back upon the evolution of the technological system, technological subject, view of nature and technology itself in an "evolving way", based on which the thesis expounds technological dissimilation and its expressional forms. In chapter three , the paper summarizes the technological criticism theories of Rome Club, Frankfurt School, Heidegger and post-modern technological criticism theories, and criticizes them respectively. Chapter 4 is the key part. It recriticizes tech in axiology, epistemology, and methodology through foregoing summing-up and individual criticism. It is educed on the basis of criticism that tech has value. Whether the value tropism is positive or negative lies on tech subject's value judgement. Starting from subject-object philosophy it points out technological optimism and pessimism's mistakes in epistemology, thinks that traditional duality philosophy has its inherent rationality and puts forward some improved precept. It puts forward someinspirations which technological criticism theories bring to our technology improvement on the basis of frontal criticism. The author tries to find out the corresponding point between western rational spirit and oriental humanity value, suggests that we should choose proper technology improvement road and technology ecologization can give us some clues to solve the problem.