Book Categories
|
Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism |
Buy Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism here, one of 750 Media History books offered for sale at discount prices here in the history books section at R bookshop. There are currently 88219 history books in our history books section, and over 1,000,000 books listed in our book store. We greatly appreciate your patronage at R bookshop and look forward to offering you a large selection of great books at discount prices now and in the future. Thank you for shopping at R Bookshop!
|
You Are Here: Home > History Books > Media History > Item 199
|
Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism
|
by Merritt Roe Smith and Leo Marx
Sales Rank: 479236
|
List Price: $29.00
$26.10
At Amazon
on 11-18-2008.
|
|
|
|
Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 304 pages
Published by: The MIT Press June 2, 1994
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0262691671
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0262691673
Book Dimensions:
8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
Weighs: 13.6 ounces
Product Description
These thirteen essays explore a crucial historical question that has been notoriously hard to pin down: To what extent, and by what means, does a society's technology determine its political, social, economic, and cultural forms?
Karl Marx launched the modern debate on determinism with his provocative remark that "the hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord; the steam-mill, society with the industrial capitalist," and a classic article by Robert Heilbroner (reprinted here) renewed the debate within the context of the history of technology. This book clarifies the debate and carries it forward.
Marx's position has become embedded in our culture, in the form of constant reminders as to how our fast-changing technologies will alter our lives. Yet historians who have looked closely at where technologies really come from generally support the proposition that technologies are not autonomous but are social products, susceptible to democratic controls. The issue is crucial for democratic theory. These essays tackle it head-on, offering a deep look at all the shadings of determinism and assessing determinist models in a wide variety of historical contexts.
Contributors: Bruce Bimber. Richard W. Bulliet. Robert L. Heilbroner. Thomas P. Hughes. Leo Marx. Thomas J. Misa. Peter C. Perdue. Philip Scranton. Merritt Roe Smith. Michael L. Smith. John M. Staudenmaier. Rosalind Williams.
About The Author
Merritt Roe Smith is Professor of history of technology and Director of the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Leo Marx is Senior Lecturer and Kenan Professor of American Cultural History Emeritus.
Reader Reviews
This collection of essays purportedly addresses the philosophical theory of technological determinism - the belief that human behavior and culture is driven by technology and its unintended (or intended) consequences. Of course, the theory has many nuances and permutations, which are explored in depth by the various writers here. The book starts off with fine introductions to the topic, particularly the opening essay by Merritt Roe Smith and the seminal "Do Machines Make History?" by Robert Heilbroner. Unfortunately the book then descends into standard turgid theoretical obfuscations of dubious usefulness to anyone other than each professor's immediate colleagues. Examples include the standard academic exercise of reinterpreting the ideas of earlier thinkers and calling the results a new theory (Bruce Bimber, Thomas Mina), or forcing existing theories together and taking credit for the resulting "breakthrough" (Rosalind Williams, Leo Marx). Another running issue in this book is a lack of distinction among technology, progress, and modernity, as can be seen in the otherwise fascinating historical report by Michael L. Smith. And as usual for academic books that collect essays by various professors, everybody repeats the basic tenets of the theory at issue before embarking on their particular interpretation or example of interest. One benefit of this book is that the editors (both in their introduction and through the essay selection process) do not try to nail down a particular position on the many nuances of technological determinism, which is healthy for purposes of discussion. Regardless, little is accomplished by the writers except esoteric reinterpretations and feeble grasps for significance. [~doomsdayer520~]
Back To Top
|
Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism
Available from Amazon
Price: $26.10
Updated on 11-18-2008.
|
NOTICE: All prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
| We offer Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism and other related Media History Books here at Rbookshop.com. To view more books about Media History please use the previous and next buttons near the top of this page.
|
|
|
Search for books at
