CMN 1160 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Techne, Ancient Greek, Technological Determinism

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Communication
• Course: CMN 1160
• Professor: Daniel Pare

Document Summary

Schools of thought put forward different understandings of technology > influence media and technology policies. Technology could be defined as fuel of modern life ; advance tools that allow people to complete tasks more efficiently . Techne+logos [ancient greek] > idea of making stuff + reasoned speech = embodies particular social relations. Technologies have their own set of politics. So a classroom may be considered technology because it conveys the notion of a professor passing on information to the students. We don"t really understand how technology functions. - ssttrruuccttuurree wwiitthhiinn wwhhiicchh tthhee tteecchhnniiccaall but to bring the two together, we should aaccttiivviittiieess ttaakkee ppllaaccee. No sense in asking whether something is advantageous or disadvantageous/ works or doesn"t works. Technologies are seen only as a good thing. Technology comes along and does stuff to society. Technology is a force in it"s own right. Not much that humans can do to condition the directions in which technologies evolve.