Tag Archives: technological determinism

A Critique of Postman’s View of Technology and Schooling

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Alvin

In his book Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology, Postman cautions against what he views as a prevailing movement towards a society where technology is increasingly in control of humanity (1992). He describes a world where technology is widely … Continue reading →

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Commentary #1 — The Judgment of Thamus

Posted on October 2, 2011 by ajevne

Introduction In his book “ Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology”, Neil Postman presents Plato’s legend of the wise king Thamus’ response to the invention of writing as an instructive lesson in how societies should think about living in … Continue reading →

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Neil Postman’s Technological Determinism

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Gordana Jugo

Postman (1992) uses an excerpt from Plato’s Phaedrus in which Thamus, a king of a great city of Upper Egypt, criticises Theuth’s invention of writing, as a starting point for his discussion on the influence of technology on society in … Continue reading →

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Commentary on Neil Postman’s Technopoly

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Juliana

In Postman’s Technopoly, he talks about the dangers of technology.  He talks about how while it may initially bring us convenience and efficiency, it also has the potential to bring many burdens with it.  He states that his “…defense is … Continue reading →

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Where literacy and technological determinism collide

Posted on October 1, 2011 by David Symonds

The steady upward climb of humanity from the rustic simplicity of prehistoric times towards the modern digital age has been long and arduous; fraught with peril and upheaval, power shifts and cultural extinctions, and an ever-increasing rate of technological innovation. … Continue reading →

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Commentary #1: Determined by technology or determined by our actions

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Angela Novoa

Postman’s article, The Judgement of Thamus (Postman, 1993), illustrates how new technologies alter our conception of reality. This transformation is an ecological change. The intrusion of a new technology involves an entire culture and context. It is not possible to … Continue reading →

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Technology as Social Need

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Jennifer Stieda

“Wherever we start in such a chain of cause and effect, we can identify an interaction between technical qualities and social constructions – an interaction so intimate that it is hard to see where the technical ends and the social … Continue reading →

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The Unabomber

Posted on September 18, 2011 by ajevne

“The system does not and cannot exist to satisfy human needs. Instead, it is human behavior that has to be modified to fit the needs of the system. This has nothing to do with the political or social ideology that … Continue reading →

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