Technopoly Flashcards

Study Notes

Introduction

The divide exists between technology and humanity, with technology being viewed primarily as an enemy.
Postman argues that technology diminishes our human experience.

The Judgement of Thamus

Based on the legend from Plato’s Phaedrus, Thamus warns Theuth about the unintended consequences of inventions like writing.
Writing leads to diminished memory and the rise of false wisdom.
Postman identifies key technologies (printing press, clock, television, computer) that have altered society with unintended negative consequences.

From Tools to Technocracy

Postman categorizes cultures into tool-using, technocracies, and technopolies, marking a transition from tools serving culture to technology disrupting it.
Pre-17th century cultures primarily used tools connected to theocratic values.
The clock, printing press, and telescope signal the shift towards technocracy, separating knowledge from morality and fostering an obsession with precision.

From Technocracy to Technopoly

Technopoly represents a total subservience to technology, starkly different from technocracy.
Marked by the rise of Taylorism, technology is prioritized over human judgment.
American technopoly flourishes due to cultural ethos favoring novelty, industrial ambitions, technological successes, and a departure from traditional beliefs.

The Improbable World

Information overload leads to incoherence in worldviews and diminishes our ability to make sense of context.
Significant technologies contributing to this state include the printing press, telegraph, photography, and later broadcasting and computers.
Postman likens Technopoly to cultural AIDS, reducing our cognitive defenses against overwhelming information.

The Broken Defenses

Traditional institutions (law, religion, education, family, state) face erosion of authority in managing information.
These institutions originally had moral agendas, unlike the efficiency-driven approach found in technopoly.
New information controllers include bureaucracy, experts confined to narrow specializations, and technical machinery focused on quantification.

The Ideology of Machines: Medical Technology

Medical technology reflects the uncritical acceptance of technological advancement in American medicine.
Physicians often prioritize tech interventions over patient experiences due to expectations and legal fears.
The "technological imperative" raises concerns about treatment-induced ailments from excessive medical interventions.

The Ideology of Machines: Computer Technology

Computer technology reshapes identities, fostering a perception of humans as machines and computers as intelligent entities.
Reliance on computers undermines individual responsibility and problem-solving skills.
Postman insists on the irreplaceable need for human insight as computers lack the capacity for meaning and emotion.

Invisible Technologies

Language, statistics, and management play crucial roles in technopoly's operation.
The manipulation of language can significantly influence outcomes in communication and decision-making.
Statistics enable comprehensive quantification, leading to phenomena like eugenics and public polling.
Management practices emerge, seeking to standardize behavior for improved efficiency and profit.

Scientism

Scientism encompasses the application of natural science methods to human behavior, organization of actions based on scientific findings, and the belief in science as a universal belief system.
Distinction between science and social research emphasizes understanding human behavior that aligns with fundamental human knowledge.

The Great Symbol Drain

Overuse of symbols leads to a dilution of meaning, with technopoly erasing boundaries between sacred and profane.
The loss of significant symbols jeopardizes cultural vitality, as technopoly fills the void with mechanistic values.

The Loving Resistance Fighter

Advocates for appreciation of cultural symbols while resisting technology's assumed neutrality.
Promotes awareness of technology's inherent political and economic agendas as a form of resistance to its dominance.

Description

Explore key concepts from Neil Postman's 'Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology' with these flashcards. Delve into the relationship between technology and humanity, and understand Postman's critique of technological dominance in society.