Technopoly Analysis Page 1-91

     Technopoly examines the substantial effect that technology has had on society as it becomes increasingly integrated into our everyday life. In previous centuries, our way of life was defied by the political and religious values set forth by higher authorities. God was considered responsible for all of the world’s activity and advancements in science and technology were often modified or completely ignore if it went against this belief. Many scholars, such as Copernicus, even refused to go public with their discoveries because they did not believe it was in accordance with the scheme of God and religion. As time went on, some began to push the boundaries of this ideology and from it many advancement in technology and science were made. This is the time when society began to move from a tool-using culture to what Postman describes as a technocrocy.

     A technocracy is “a society only loosely controlled by a social custom and religious tradition and driven by the impulse to invent,” (pg 41). This term validates the achievements of the technologically savvy individual and encourages them to create for the betterment of mankind. Francis Bacon embodied this design and Postman names him the first man of technocracy for his revolutionary approach to the scientific enterprise. What came next after the technocracy was a technopoly, which was only achieved when the society “eliminates any alternatives of itself,” (pg 48); when the technological world overpowers the traditional methods of the past and they become irrelevant. The United States is the only country that can be considered a technopoly, thus far, but Japan and some of the other European countries are not far behind.

     At times Postman seemed to react very negatively to the rise of technology in society. He often focuses on the harsher, more theological side of the history rather than expressing the tremendous success that technology had brought to the world. He explains how earlier centuries, at times, viewed technology as “evil” since it went against the teachings of God and religion. Not everyone was very accepting of its introduction and many advancements were put off due to the individual’s wish not to go against their beliefs. The Luddites deeply denounced the use of technology due to the fact that it challenged their previous existence and complicated their old-fashioned way of life. Computers, on the other hand, focused on the accomplishments in the fields of science and technology. It did not include much opposition to the advancements, but rather outlined the succession of events in the history of the computer.