StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

What Does it Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Technological advancements have tremendously transformed the way of living. It influences all aspects of human life and in current times, makes it difficult to imagine our existence without the scientific inventions and discoveries which have made our life comfortable. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92.4% of users find it useful
What Does it Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "What Does it Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age"

?Roshan Singh Petit HUMA01 – ial #0006 15 September Technology: A Friend or Foe of Humanity Technological advancements have tremendously transformed the way of living. It influences all aspects of human life and in current times, makes it difficult to imagine our existence without the scientific inventions and discoveries which have made our life comfortable. The precepts and concepts of knowledge areas have got significant boost through the advancement made in science and technology. Indeed, they have become highly important tools that have widened the scope of utilization of the existing resources. They have become vital to understand the mysteries of nature also but they have also introduced new factors and issues which are detrimental to the survival of future generations. It would not be wrong to suggest that the impact of technology on human society has to a great extent, tried to subvert the values and contextual reality of being an empowered human being. As McKibben says, with science and new technology, we have traded in old contexts that informed human lives, bargaining them in return for freedom, for liberation (15). One of the greatest philosopher and economist of the ninetieth century, Karl Marx stated that, “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.” This famous quote was based on one of his economic discussions where he argued that the pursuit of convenience through technology would only result in a high volume of useless people. In other words, the advancement of technology would result in higher rates of unemployment. Marx argued that the use technology would affect in the loss of traditional values, and consequently create a non-humanistic economic society, which many refer to as capitalism. According to Bill McKibben, an American environmentalist, technology and science have negatively affected other areas of human civilization such as the loss of traditional jobs such as farmers to more technologically oriented jobs which have led to the growth of capitalism, and the proper treatment of every part of the environment to devastation of the environment for the sake of natural resources, and advancement of modern human societies (15). McKibben’s concern is primarily intended as warning for scientists and rationalists as not to become God. The far reaching repercussions of genetic engineering when applied to human beings can be dangerous in its content and detrimental for the safe existence of our future generation. The importance of science and technology in our lives cannot be denied. But the time has come to reflect seriously as to what has been gained at what cost? It is easy to contribute the develop of society on the advancements made in the area of science and technology. But one forgets that it has also impacted adversely on the environment and has also been responsible for increasing unemployment across the globe. People have lost jobs to the machines which are invented to work longer hours and with more precision, thus making workers redundant. In short, technology has also brewed more discontent in the society where previously order reigned and legacy of work was carried forward by the next generations! Genetic engineering has been seen as panacea for creating perfect human being by the scientist fraternity. By altering human genes, babies can be created as per the requirements of the parents. Beautiful babies with perfect features and high IQ that can be eternal source of pride for the parents has now become a gross reality. The experiments on animals have made scientists confident of replicating desired genes in the embryo to create designer babies. McKibben fears that this could threaten the very rules of existence of human race that thrives on learning through experience and by using its intelligence to make empowered decisions. The new creed of human beings could well be programmed creatures who could also start questioning their intelligence because of the programmed intelligence! The unlimited possibilities of creating monsters could very well be lurking behind the applications of genetic engineering. The awesome reality of genetic engineering needs to be tempered with a rational approach that can weigh the pros and con of the situation. McKibben believes that these so-called technological advancements have made us slowly give up the notion of what it means to be human. He justifies this ideology by referring to the issue of human genetic engineering, where a couple can customize the genetic traits of their child according to their liking. This issue is quite controversial as the autonomy and actual existence of the child is entirely pre-determined by their parents, and it robs the child of being human. On the other hand, while many argue that technology is harmful to humanity, individuals such as Sarah Green, an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patient, would argue otherwise as technology has assisted her to prolong her life and given her a new identity. Both individuals provide a conflicting view of how technology affects humanity; however I believe that technology is merely an instrument or tool created by human beings, whose affects are based on the actions, and thoughts of human beings. The benefits of technology do indeed often blind us to its drawbacks. Technology had given a new lease of life to Sarah Green, an accomplished flautist who was able to regain control of her life after being affected by ALS. She had lost her voice but through technological marvels like voice synthesizer, she was able to converse with her family and friends. The vaccines, anti- dotes and discoveries in the medical field have significantly improved the standards of living and help prolong life. The role of scientific inventions in the socio-economic development has been tremendous but it has come at a great cost to the humanity. People have not only lost the zest for enjoying the joys of nature but their world has shrunk to the confines of technology driven environment. Their happiness has been limited to the extent of the luxury that technology can provide them with! There is another very interesting aspect of genetic engineering. Ronald Finke (1989), an eminent scientist had said that mind is capable of retrieving images from recess even if no conscious effort is made to commit them to memory. It means that even during the process of intentional recall of an image in some defined format, the mind can conjure up and explore various other properties of the same image! If this concept is applied to the designer babies who are genetically created with defined characteristics, what is the guarantee that they would behave in the same manner as envisaged by the genetic engineers? If what Finke says is correct, then mind can retrieve images and thoughts that may be contrary to what they been designed for? The concern for the misuse of genetically engineered human being is genuine and must force us to address the wider impacts that it can have on the human consciousness. It is important to nourish the inherent tendencies of children into healthy and happy adults who are able to lead an empowered life. (words: 1145 [820 ->my paper]) References Finke, R. A. Principles of mental imagery. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1989. McKibben, Bill. The Posthuman Condition. In Staying Human in an Engineered Age. Henry Holt & Company. Harpers Magazine, April 2003. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“What Does it Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1431744-what-does-it-mean-to-be-human-in-a-technological
(What Does It Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age Essay)
https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1431744-what-does-it-mean-to-be-human-in-a-technological.
“What Does It Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1431744-what-does-it-mean-to-be-human-in-a-technological.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF What Does it Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age

Technological progress and Communication

This essay is related to a geographical analysis of modernity, forms of spatiality and the definitions of spaces in the modern geographical context.... The writer suggests that new innovations have shaped a new understanding of the urban image and changed the experiences of living.... hellip; This essay is related to a geographical analysis of modernity, forms of spatiality and the definitions of spaces in the modern geographical context....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Understanding Martin Heidegger Being

concerning technology which was then translated as "The age of the World Picture" by William Lovitt which deals with the impact of Technology on being.... He stresses the fact that the essence of technology is by no means anything technological.... The relationship is between human existence and technology.... A living with technology that does not allow it to "warp, confuse, and lay waste our nature of being.... what stood out in Heidegger's work is the thin line of differentiation between being and the understanding of being....
13 Pages (3250 words) Book Report/Review

What Does It Mean To Be Human

to be human is a definitive plus and more so when man realizes that he has absolute control over the different technological regimes and undertakings, which then again have been developed by man alone.... From a technological standpoint, in an era where human progress is soaring at a dizzying rate, society must adapt its technology to solve current world issues.... Man, machine and money might just be the real buzzwords when it comes to understanding the true technological basis but it is in fact quite a reality in the time and age of today....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Does Cell Phone Cause Cancer

This technological invention has pervaded the human society and people cannot think about a life without it.... So an examination of cell phone use and its effect on human body need to be studied.... The fact is that the cell phone emits 1000 times higher than the base stations, and it has greater likelihood of causing problems to brain and upper part of human body....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Harms In Keeping Animals for Human Food Consumption

hellip; According to the report proponents of animal consumption term the practice as age-old and that humans are naturally omnivorous.... Animals do not undergo torture in the butcheries, but rather they die fast because of the technological means of their execution.... This paper makes a conclusion that it is wrong to compare animals with human beings, particularly when it comes to the keeping of animals for food.... The pain of an animal cannot be compared to the pain of a human being....
8 Pages (2000 words) Term Paper

The Affect of Modern Technology

He stresses on the fact that the essence of technology is by no means anything technological.... Living with technology that does not allow it to "warp, confuse, and lay waste our nature of being.... what stood out in Heidegger's work is thin line differentiation between being and the understanding of being....
13 Pages (3250 words) Article

Technological Divide as a Function of Capitalism

The essay 'Technological Divide as a Function of Capitalism' demonstrates to the reader how capitalism affects the technological divide between countries, what the digital divide is, and how it arises and what does it lead to.... The digital divide is e lack of access to cyberspace or connectivity; rather it is part of the modernist means to compartmentalize and categorize complicated socio-technological issues into a one-dimensional social analysis.... The digital divide is e lack of access to cyberspace or connectivity; rather it is part of the modernist means to compartmentalize and categorize complicated socio-technological issues into a one-dimensional social analysis....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Human and Digital Television Interaction

The interaction is mainly for the purpose of providing high-quality entrainment through the use of modern technological tools.... his interaction has been made possible by technological advancement which utilizes the principles of improving the signals to enable digital television to access more channels.... This report "human and Digital Television Interaction" presents digital television that has attracted a lot of interest due to its wide range of applications....
6 Pages (1500 words) Report
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us