Technology and Social Values

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  • This module explores the interactions between the development and application of technology and social values. Please first read pages 71 - 90 in your textbook. Then open this folder to read the lesson 'Is Technology Hazardous to Human Values?' and to view the videos associated with this lesson. Please note, there are a large number of readings and videos associated with this module. I don't expect you to read or view all of them. However, you should read and view enough of them to complete the assignment identified in this folder.


  • Assignment: Please develop a four to six page paper to answer the question should the development of technology be influenced by religious and social values. In this paper, you may illustrate that both should influence it, or it should be influenced only by religious views, or it should be influenced only by scientific facts. In whatever perspective you take, you must provide illustrative examples of why you have taken this position. Please use resources found in texts, on the web, etc. Please also provide your sources in APA format, and submit your assignment to this drop box in Microsoft Word. Assignment Due Date October 9, 2017.

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Is Technology Hazardous to Human Values? Please take the time to review the many links attached to this lesson. It provides further explanations and illustrations to the concepts addressed in this lesson. The links will also be useful in helping you to complete the assignment found at the end of the lesson. There are two main views regarding the compatibility that exists between religion, science, and technology. The first view is that religion, science, and technology should not be viewed as being incompatible. In this view, one can find scientists or technologists who believe that they have found religion in science. The other view is that religion is not compatible with science or technology. In the views of some, science had forever expunged the notion of a God and that science would eventually explain everything. This debate has been going on for centuries. However, the debate tended to subside in the early 1970s. At this time, science came to win the minds and emotions of many educated Americans. Further, advances in technology promoted the idea that these advances led to progress and economic prosperity. This view further helped to solidify science and technology in the minds of most Americans. Rifkin was concerned with the advancement of science and technology and how contemporary views were no longer in harmony with nature or religion. Rifkin caused a great deal of media attention to the issues surrounding genetic engineering and if it was appropriate to patent humans. While this technology was still beyond the capability of science, it did create wonderful reading in the popular press. Thomas Hughes provides a historical perspective of the relationship between technology and religion: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/359336.html The issues surrounding the patenting of life deserves discussion, and someone else would have raised the issue had not Rifkin done so in 1995. While this issue was debated on nightly news and within newspapers, the issue raised by Rifkin did not develop into a serious follow-up response among most religious groups. Even the legislative bodies in the United States gave no indication that they would take up the issue in any serious manner. The question then should be raised, had science and technology become so important that they had won an easy victory? Additionally, had science and technology developed into a cultural phenomenon where religion was no longer seen as necessary or important in shaping our human values? These questions have implications for our perceptions of both science and technology. The question that I hope each person would ask is: "Should science and technology be the greatest forms of human progress?" This notion that science and technology contains a set of shared values among those that place faith in their use means that these values provide a path to follow in the living of a life. Central to this idea is that science and technology have become the most reliable sources of knowledge about the nature of things, and technology is the most promising way to improve human life. In this set of views, either the church or the state cannot question science inquiry, and science can be used to revisit all knowledge. Thus, for some people, religion is tolerated in the name of faith, and it does not have the same forms of credibility as those provided by science. Religion should therefore be kept out of public discourse, public institutions, and public education. One could therefore write that scientism is an allencompassing method of knowing. It is culturally embodied and forms a way of living and knowing. Yet this view of scientism does have problems. Science has not allowed humans to solve all of their problems. Nor does science and technology have the future capacity to do so; some solutions are more than a matter of time or the acquisition of more knowledge. This should be evident by the fact that science and technology have not provided for all of human wants or desires without some level of social or environmental consequences. Further, simply having a faith in science holds no reason in the principle that better science and new knowledge cannot undo these negative consequences of technological development. Perhaps society needs something more than good science and technology to prosper. Surely, there must be some value to religion for a society. The United States Congress would never eliminate funding for the National Endowments for the Humanities and the Arts than for the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health. While some in the ‘Religious Right’ would love to see such an event take place, state representatives know it would be politically harmful for them to do so because of the separation of church and state. Jensen (2006) in an article entitled Technology and Religion illustrated some interesting perspectives with regard to religion and technological development: http://dissidentvoice.org/Dec05/Jensen1217.htm This then leads us to the crux of this presentation; does science and technology need to be subjected to moral, social, and intellectual judgment? Should science and technology be called upon to justify how they are being used and implemented within society? For views of what some individuals have written on a discussion board visit this site: http://rose.geog.mcgill.ca/wordpress/?p=67 If one believes that science and technology no longer are response to the needs of society, then perhaps these methods of inquiry and application need to have a counterweight to balance how they are used in society. The absence of a counterweight to the ideology of science and technology may have some negative side effects for society. For without this counterweight, it may lead to the impression that there are no alternatives to judge science and technology. In the alternative view, many individuals (including scientists and technologists) place faith in secular philosophies that give little support of value in a Supreme Being. In 1859, Charles Darwin’s publication of Origin of Species had a profound impact on society. The Darwinian Theory is a scientific theory. The creationists, who opposed it, saw the theory as a dangerous idea. This was because it called into question our fundamental beliefs about the creation of life. If Darwin was correct, nothing could be ‘sacred.’ For several very slanted views against evolution, please visit the following sites: http://www.rae.org/revevchp.html http://www.scienceagainstevolution.org/ http://www.godandscience.org/evolution/locke.html The following three websites provide a scientific examination of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/evotheory.html http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/evolution/ To illustrate another example, in 1543, Copernicus proposed that the Earth was not the center of the universe, and the Earth revolved around the Sun. This idea took over a century to take hold in society, despite the evidence of science. The religious reformer Philipp Melanchthon suggested that some Christian prince should suppress Copernicus, whom he viewed as a lunatic. While the polls seem to fluctuate between 35-50 percent, an even large percentage of people in the United States believe that ‘creation science’ or ‘intelligent design’ should be taught in school alongside evolution. For a poll of what Americans believe should be taught in schools visit: http://www.pewforum.org (Use search terms of creation science or intelligent design to find these articles). For an in-depth examination that illustrates why intelligent design should not be taught in schools, please visit: http://skepdic.com/intelligentdesign.html Some even believe that a policy should be written into school districts where parents would be able to `opt out’ of materials they did not want their children to be taught. If this was to take place, should we teach evolution? Should arithmetic be taught? What about psychology? Scientists and technologist would argue that misinforming a child is a terrible offense that undermines what we know, what we do, and our current worldview. An author's view that Genesis is true, and evolution could never have occurred can be found here: http://www.byfaith.co.uk/pauldesign2.htm Geoff Chapman also offers readings illustrating that Genesis was true: http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i1/horse.asp http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v19/i1/orchids.asp Assignment: Please develop a four to six page paper to answer the question should the development of technology be influenced by religious and social values. In this paper, you may illustrate that both should influence it, or it should be influenced only by religious views, or it should be influenced only by scientific facts. In whatever perspective you take, you must provide illustrative examples of why you have taken this position. Please use resources found in texts, on the web, etc. Please also provide your sources in APA format. Videos Related to Creationism vs Evolution Creationism vs Evolution: This video illustrates a poll of the United States citizens regarding our beliefs about creationism and evolution. Evolution vs Creationism: Listen to the Scientists: This video presents the views of scientists regarding evolution and the role of creationism (i.e., intelligent design) in public schools. Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial (creationism vs evolution): This video illustrates the public debates associated with intelligent design in Dover, Pennsylvania. Debate, The Genesis Flood – Creation vs Evolution – Ken T. Hovind vs Till: This video is a debate between a creationist and an atheist.
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Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL VALUES

Technology and Social Values
Institution Affiliation
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TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL VALUES

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Introduction
Technology development is usually not an independent process. This is mainly because it
is usually influenced by different aspects such as cultures, social values, religion among others.
Religious values are among the factors that play an important role in determining the nature in
which a society is able to relate to their resources. Also, through shaping moral protocol and
social structure, religious values play a very big goal on dictating the amount of value that will
be employed on innovation (Campbell, 2017).

The essay mainly focuses on why the

development of technology should be influenced by religious values.
Reasons why religious values should influence technology development
It is very important that religion should influence religion mainly because of the believes
and the nature of religion. Since the past, religion has always played a big part in influencing
technology development. The believes that the different religions have played a huge role in the
world and hence the same religion should be the factor that is influencing the development of
technology. Since technology is a major promising way which may help in improving the lives
of human beings, religion should play a very big role in influencing the way in which technology
will be developed. There are several reasons why religion should be the aspect or issue that is
influencing the development of technology.
Regulation of the technology being developed
Technology has been speedily been developing over the years where there have been
different technological advancements. However, some of the machineries and knowledge that
have been implemented have been stated to have broken religious and ethical standards. This is
because some other types of technology advancements tend to be unethical and hence, ...


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