Monday, April 23, 2012

Postman: technique over humanity

...These include the beliefs that the primary, if not the only, goal of human labour and thought is efficiency; that technical calculation is, in all respects, superior to human judgement;  that in fact human judgement cannot be trusted, because it is plagued by laxity, ambiguity, and unnecessary complexity;  that subjectivity is an obstacle to clear thinking;  that what cannot be measured either does not exist or is of no value;  and that the affairs of citizens are best guided and conducted by experts...

...In the work of Frederick Taylor we have, I believe, the first clear statement of the idea that society is best served when human beings are placed at the disposal of their techniques and technology...

Technopoly, p52-53

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