Technology is all about tools, machines and devices that help solve real-world problems. It can range from simple tools, such as a crowbar or wooden spoon to more complex machines, like space rockets and particle accelerators. It also includes non-material technology, such as computer software and business methods.
Technology can have a positive or negative effect on society, depending on how it is used. It can bring about improvements in quality of life, such as boosting productivity and reducing stress levels. However, it can also lead to social disruption, such as in the case of the Industrial Revolution. It can also cause environmental damage, such as pollution.
Another important factor in the technology debate is the way people shape and develop technology. There are two’sharply diverging traditions’ that have developed across the two millennia. The first is instrumentalist – people who see it as an objective means to an end, such as Aristotle, Hugh of St Victor, Johann Beckmann and Talcott Parsons.
The second tradition is cultural – people who see it as an expression of human creativity and values. This is reflected in the many different forms that technology takes, from art to science and music. It is also seen in the way that institutions – such as schools and universities – evolve, which are often seen as technologies with their own specific’shape’. This approach has been given further impetus by the fact that digital technology makes it easy to alter media, such as photographs and audios, so that they can be spread widely and quickly.