TEC154 2010S, Class 15: Perspectives (3)

THIS CLASS NEEDS FURTHER NOTES (Feb. 26)

Overview:
* Questions on the readings (small groups).
* Reflection on small-group discussion (large group).

Admin:
* Assignments for Monday: (a) Read short Cadmus piece; (b) Explore the music instruments Web site.
* Monday's class will be in Bucksbaum 101.
* Wednesday's class will be in Bucksbaum 152.
* Friday's class will be in our normal classroom.
* Thanks to BD for the notes.

Questions (in small group)
1. We as a society need to be more involved in the development of tech.
  The development of tech is too centralized, needs to be more democratic*
  * Schumacher: Mechanization that turns Man into a slave of the machine is
    bad because they will no longer do meaningful work (p. 22)
  * Godman: We need to chane the way we approach science, our morals, and
    values concerning science and technology (p. 81)
  * Sclove: Since technology is structure of society and people participate
    in building structure, technology should be more democratized (p. 93)

2. People need to be more involved in the creation and use of technology.  We
  need to make technology more egalitarian.

3. Have diff reasons for writing.  Schumacher wants to keep tech from stealing
   Man's good work.  Sclove wants to save democracty by treating technology
     more democratically.  Goodman wants a moral revolution in the people, 
     and technolgy needs to be more humanistic and philosophical.

4. Reflect Joy's thought about being careful what technology is doing,
  Weinberg's article about replacing social construction.  Winner discusses power and authority and Goodman sort of goes over that.

Thesis (Class)

1. Schumacher
* On p. 74, end of first paragraph "Keynotes of Buddhist economics are
  simplicity and nonviolence."  
* On p. 76, "Buddhist economics is the middle way.
* On p. 72 (as stated above)
* Goal is to compare Buddhist Economics to other economics.  Also wants
  to show how B.E. is better than other economics, which is discernable
  through his word hcoice.
* How is this related to technology?
  * We think of our tech products (cellphones, cars, etc.) as the material
    that materialists want
  * If we understand the economics, we understand the market, and why
    certain technologies develop in certain markets
  * Can look at technology the same way people look at economics
  * Tech & econ can be left to do as they want (l.faire) or vice
    versa.
1. Goodman
  * p. 83: All technologies should have an equal chance to develop
  * p. 80, The first paragraph
  * p. 81, 2nd paragraph before the break (not a good thesis)