The human species' use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The prehistoric discovery of how to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons.
Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as pollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of Earth's environment. Various implementations of technology influence the values of a society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional norms.
-
Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of
technology in society, with disagreements over whether technology
improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism,
and similar movements criticise the pervasiveness of technology in the
modern world, opining that it harms the environment and alienates
people; proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and techno-progressivism
view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the
human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that the
development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but
recent scientific studies indicate that other primates and certain dolphin communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to other generations
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
