Technocracyopoly
I don’t think that the divisions between tool culture and technocracy, technocracy and technopoly, are as distinct as Postman makes them seem. As the boundary between tools and technocracy, Postman selects Francis Bacon’s new ways of thinking about progress. The ICC’s study of railroad charges represents, to Postman, the dawn of technopoly in America. I don’t think that a shift from tool culture to technocracy, or a technocracy to a technopoly, occurs overnight, or even in one person’s lifetime.
I’m also having trouble believing, as Postman does, that the United States is a technopoly. Americans believe in the power of the individual. Something that Postman mentions, but not nearly strongly enough, is that technology is embraced because change can be more egalitarian.
Comments
I also thought the divisions were not so well defined. The part about harnessing horse power seems more like technocracy since the march toward greater efficiency and mechanization of labor had started.
Posted by: Nat C. | February 25, 2009 11:46 AM