Summary
Highlights
This lesson, 2.2, focuses on technology as a way of revealing. The objectives are to explain the human condition before science and technology, identify changes after science and technology, and name ways technology aided in revealing truths about human beings.
Before the common era, humans were nomads, constantly moving for food. They lived in the open or in temporary shelters. Their scientific name is Homo Sapiens, and Homo Erectus was a relative. Early humans learned to produce fire for cooking, warmth, and shaping metals, without understanding the scientific principles of friction and heat. This period is known as the Stone Age, characterized by the use of stone tools.
Early people discovered minerals and began forging metalwork using heat. They hunted animals not only for food but also for fur and skin to protect themselves from harsh weather, a necessity for survival. They also created figures in honor of deities, such as fertility statues and sculptures of Greek gods (Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo) and Egyptian gods like Ra.
In the common era, humans began forming communities, tribes, and eventually civilizations. Driven by the need to survive, they developed ways to deal with megafauna, leading to the extinction of species like mammoths due to excessive hunting. The ongoing extinction of both flora and fauna is a result of human activity.
Communities began to form around trade and profit. People with specific skills became artisans (carpenters, painters, blacksmiths), leading to specialized labor. In the early common era, physical strength was highly valued, but later, mental strength, intelligence, and skill became more important for leadership and community success.
Technology is ubiquitous in modern life, influencing everything from clothing to food. Modern humans are highly reliant on technology for a 'good life.' Technology aids in problem-solving, such as ensuring food security. The definition of technology extends beyond modern gadgets like cell phones and computers to include everyday items and processes, like clothing production.
Historically, items like cotton clothes were expensive due to manual production. Technology, with machines for harvesting and processing cotton, significantly increased supply, making clothing more affordable due to the law of supply and demand. In contrast, luxury goods like Gucci and Louis Vuitton remain expensive because they are handmade by skilled artisans, emphasizing quality over mass production. However, over-reliance on technology can lead humans to lose track of essential values and natural processes.
Philosopher Martin Heidegger argued that technology's essence differs from its purpose and being. He viewed technology as either a means to an end or as that which constitutes human activity, revealing a particular character of one's being in each historical period. The speaker assigns an article by Heidegger for students to reflect on, posing questions about the impact of technology's non-existence and the validity of Heidegger's views.