What does technology create? This question is very easy to answer, cars, lights, computers, mobile phones and happiness, but if you go deeper, it is like asking who you are. It is the ultimate question of technological philosophy. Thinking purely from the perspective of science and technology will enter a narrow thinking space. In particular, the relationship between modern technology and human society has gradually evolved from a master-slave relationship to a symbiotic relationship. Technicians are prone to the illusion that technology dominates reality, and then believe that technology creates happiness for human beings.
This illusion must be torn apart. Does technology create happiness for human beings? No, technology cannot create happiness. Only by tearing off this hype, the author believes that we can truly return to the essence of technological pursuit. Regarding whether technology creates happiness for human beings, more than a century ago, the scientific and philosophical circles had a similar discussion and thinking on a large scale.
When we look back at this discussion more than a century later, this is actually important to the scientific community. In this discussion, Nietzsche is the most surprising person for later generations. He is so prophetic and wise in his insight into the destructive power of new science and technology on people and society. In "The Science of Happiness", he put forward his views on the purpose of science. On the one hand, the power of science deprives people of joy and makes people colder, more rigid, and more restrained. It is a great pain maker. ; But on the other hand, people have also discovered the counter-force of science, which is immeasurable, and it will surely illuminate a new world of joy.
On the question of whether technology creates happiness for human beings? It is just that the technicians meet the expectations of the id for technology, and the id certainly hopes to bring happiness to people, and stay away from pain. This subjectivity without a comprehensive value proposition can mislead our creativity. However, with the emergence of Nietzsche, the pain of technology has been released and recognized by people, and the role of technology is even more so. Technologists cannot avoid the pain that technology may bring. Nietzsche also made us realize that we need to care more about the possibility of spirituality. The hidden problems behind the technology are just like what Nietzsche said: ruthlessness, rigidity, restraint and so on.
From the point of view of individuals, the results of new technologies, such as smart phones, smart glasses, smart watches, smart TVs, smart cars, etc., are irresistibly closely integrated with people. Of course, corresponding to this, anti-intelligence demands must also be among them. Existing, this resistance has its necessity of existence. This is the contradiction between human psychology and modern technology. Before the extinction of human beings, such a "scream" will continue forever. Combination is a paradox that conflicts with human nature.
Of course, it is not necessary for "humans to return to apes" to conform to human nature. The existence of conflict with nature is not a bad thing. It is precisely because of the existence of conflict that human beings constantly adjust and correct themselves in the conflict. However, today's conflict should be squarely faced, as Nietzsche said that the impact of technological civilization on human beings will be reflected in people's inner loneliness and lack of belief, and due to technological progress, human society is dependent on and anti-dependence on technology. , the psychological rift will grow. Here, science and technology need help from philosophy and psychology in the process of advancing.
From this point of view, technicians should not only use technology to create a technological civilization, but also have the ability to resolve the hard injuries brought about by technological civilization, and practice the so-called good work of combining hardness and softness. The process of finding such a firm and soft kung fu requires the cultivation of technicians, often starting from the heart and looking for the beauty of technology from the heart. All the good things in the world are often rooted in people's inner world, and there are various forms of spiritual practice, such as literature, music, art, philosophy, religion and so on. The pursuit of technology by technicians builds a philosophical attitude of technicians towards life to a certain extent, but this philosophical attitude cannot be released into a kind of comprehension and thought without the implementation of words, for others to criticize and resonate. .
Compared with other technologies, the Internet and software technology are still constructing another living space for human beings, with realistic abstractions such as clothing, food, housing and transportation, and a more important emotional space for emotions. Therefore, the builders of the Internet and software should also have an additional responsibility.