When thinking of why humans produce new technologies, the reason is to make some aspect of human life easier. This may be done through selfish ambition, in which case the technology is corrupt right from the start. But most technologies have the initial purpose of helping humans survive and thrive on earth. But as Postman suggested in Technopoly, it seems that no matter how good the purpose of the technology, there are always some bad consequences that need to be weighed against the good. Sometimes it takes significant amounts of time before the unintended consequences are viewed as significant enough to eliminate the technology. Again, as Postman suggests, as long as those who the technology benefits are in “power”, it tends to be accepted and promoted regardless of consequences. I feel the following picture with the quote from Einstein summarizes Postman’s feelings quite well.
Postman, N (1992) Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. New York: Vintage Books
I love the quotation you chose. It’s one that I considered as I looked for my ‘technology’ text, as well as some of Einstein’s other statements about the importance of putting people’s well being above technological advancements. I love the benefits of technology, but I do find it sad that so many tools that were to be used for good are used for destructive purposes, like Nobel’s dynamite used for war rather than mining. Einstein’s words definitely provide a cautious and caring perspective with regards to advancements.