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(1987) Technology and responsibility, Dordrecht, Springer.
The main purpose of this paper is to argue against some of what Ellul is claiming. Although I do not offer a general critique of his views, the arguments I consider below speak to a central theme in Ellul's work, the autonomous status of technology and its impact on society. On the other hand, there are other features of Ellul's views I find suggestive. One of these is his belief that technology has a way of precipitating certain economic results. I address a small aspect of this claim in the second part of the paper. But first, I am concerned to examine the claim for autonomy. In particular, I argue that speaking of the "autonomy of technology" commits one to a fundamentally wrong way of addressing issues in technology studies.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-015-6940-8_5
Full citation:
Pitt, J. C. (1987)., The autonomy of technology, in P. T. Durbin (ed.), Technology and responsibility, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 99-114.
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