Vrije Universiteit Brussel Technology & Society Heylighen, Francis Publication date: 2021 License: Unspecified Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Heylighen, F. (2021). Technology & Society: social, philosophical and ethical implications for the 21st century. Brussels: ECCO VUB. 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Oct. 2021 Technology & Society social, philosophical and ethical implications for the 21st century Francis Heylighen Lecture Notes 2020-2021 Center Leo Apostel (CLEA) Vrije Universiteit Brussel - 1 - Preface The following are the lecture notes for a course given to Master’s students in philosophy, ethics and media at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. They contain all the material that the students need to know for the examination. In addition, the students normally need to prepare a presentation on a self-chosen topic within the same broad subject domain. In that presentation, they normally introduce a technology or theory and discuss some of the pros and cons of this application or perspective, so as to open a wider debate with the rest of the group of students. The score on the presentation counts for one third of the points on this course, the score on the examination (this material) counts for the other two thirds. This course tries to give the students a deeper insight into what technology is, and how it affects human life on this planet. Given how pervasive and dominant technological systems have become in this 21st century, it is important to understand the dynamics that propel its ever-faster development. It is especially important to understand, on the one hand, the negative effects and dangers of this development, so that we can mitigate or evade those, on the other hand, the benefits and promises, so that we can further promote and enhance them. It is customary in some circles to see all technological innovation as progress, as a harbin- ger of a utopian society without poverty, disease, or conflict. On the other hand, other people, especially in the humanities and ecological movements, tend to see technology as intrinsically oppressive, threatening and demeaning of nature and humankind. The present approach steers a middle course, examining both promises and perils, albeit with a long- term perspective that is mostly optimistic. In practice, the situation is highly complex, with a variety of different trends, forces and desires that are pulling society in contradictory directions. It is not always obvious which ones of those are good and which are bad: well- meaning innovations, such as social media, sometimes bring about unexpected negative side effects, such as echo chambers or false news, while slow trends that few people pay attention to, such as vaccination, may result in spectacular progress, such as the near vanishing of child mortality, when considered over the longer term. It is fashionable now to say that all technological developments should be scrutinized for their ethical implications, and that engineers should not just think about building a system that does what it intends to do, but reflect about the wider implications of releasing such a system in society. While this is correct, we should be careful to avoid judging complex technologies through knee-jerk, “moralistic” reactions, where we reject some innovation just because it frightens us or offends our cultural traditions or personal sensibilities. Just like engineering needs to be informed by ethics, ethics needs to be informed by engineer- ing, and more widely by a deeper understanding of the system formed by all humans, their technological tools, and the natural ecosystems of which they form part. It is only on this - 2 - broadest, global scale that we can appraise whether some innovation is more likely to be good or bad for humanity. That requires a systems approach, which looks at the complex interactions between humans, machines and nature from a long-term, evolutionary perspective. That approach should also go in real depth, not taking developments at face value, but critically examining them and asking difficult questions about meaning and implications. Such critical analysis typifies philosophy. The present course will therefore combine insights from the philosophy and ethics of technology with the more engineering-inspired concepts proposed by systems theorists, cyberneticians and computer scientists, in the hope of arriving at a balanced appraisal. - 3 - - 4 - Table of Contents PREFACE ........................................................................................................................................................... 2 WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY? ................................................................................................................................... 7 Defining technology .................................................................................................................................... 7 The systems view of technology .................................................................................................................. 7 Extending human agency .......................................................................................................................... 10 The mediating role of technology ............................................................................................................. 12 PHILOSOPHICAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS TECHNOLOGY .................................................................................... 15 1. Instrumentalism vs. technological autonomy .................................................................................. 15 2. Neutrality vs. bias ................................................................................................................................. 16 3. Techno-optimism vs. Techno-pessimism ............................................................................................... 17 THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 18 A brief history of technology ..................................................................................................................... 18 Anti-technology movements ...................................................................................................................... 19 Mechanisms of technological evolution .................................................................................................... 21 Diffusion of innovations ............................................................................................................................ 22 Utility and value ........................................................................................................................................ 23 Effectiveness and efficiency ...................................................................................................................... 24 Ephemeralization: doing more with less .................................................................................................. 25 Reduction of friction ................................................................................................................................. 28 Extension of cause and effect chains ........................................................................................................ 30 Dangers of reduced friction ...................................................................................................................... 31 Cascading failures .................................................................................................................................... 32 Accelerating change ................................................................................................................................. 34 The technological singularity ................................................................................................................... 36 Technological capabilities extrapolated to the limit ................................................................................ 37 Return to Eden: a techno-utopia ............................................................................................................... 40 DANGERS AND NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................. 41 Technology effects tend to be unpredictable ............................................................................................. 41 Technologies can be used for immoral purposes ...................................................................................... 43 Technologies can make us lose control ...................................................................................................