088 Technologies not only influence but actually determine s

[karteek]

"Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics."

 

 

Today, we are living in the age of modern technology. This is due

to the arduous effort of some human beings who have dared to think beyond the usual limits. But, to what extent is this technology affecting us? What influence does it have on our social customs and ethics? Does it determine social customs and ethics? In my view, some technologies do actually determine the social customs and ethics.

 

One of the latest (and controversial) developements in the field of science has been 'cloning'. It is one technology which if used widely would determine the social customs and ethics. Just imagine coming across a person who is exactly like you and who can do things exactly as you do! Wouldn't it be a very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation for you? In all likelihood, it certainly would! This would definitely determine the social customs and ethics in the 'new' society.

 

Another latest technology - the internet - provides a huge platform

for sharing our knowledge beyond the boundaries and create what is known as a 'global village'. The advent of internet has however influenced our social customs and ethics. Although this new technology provides vast amount of useful knowledge, it does have some not so useful information (for instance, that which is provided by some of the

pornography sites). The onus is on us, users of the internet, to bind ourselves to the moral ethics. The internet has created a new society wherein some of our social customs and ethics have been influenced.

 

Thus to sum up, some of the technologies do determine the social customs and ethics, whereas some other technologies only infulence the customs and ethics.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is my first essay after quite some time. Please evaluate it.

 

I found the topic a bit abstract. Wasn't able to think about too many points. Could you also tell me how to go about these kind of topics...

 

[flyflycai]

88"Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this era of rapid social and technological advancement, it is unquestionable that myriad of technologies have great pervaded every aspect of our daily life, and to some extent have greatly influence social customs and ethics. However, as to say technologies actually determine social customs and ethics, I do not agree this point of view in that customs is a complex collection, subjective and objective, but not only technological.

 

Admittedly, technologies have greatly changed the ways we live and consequently do have transformed social customs and ethics, which have close relationship with peoples' life fashion. Consider the ways by which people bless each other in holidays for example. Not only in Spring Festival of China but also in Christmas Day of West, people used to take their presents to call on others twenty years ago. But now more and more people are used to beatitude friends by modern telecommunication technique, such as telephone, Internet and cell phone message. It can be concluded that social customs and ethics have been mixed into technology.

 

However, it is hard to conclude that social customs and ethics have some essential changes caused by technology. For instance, on one hand, people have sent numerous satellites, spaceships and space shuttles into outside space. Furthermore, biotechnology and gene engineering make people to explore human body, leading to the mistrust of the theory that God made human beings. However, on the other hand, most social members in West are the Nazarenes, not even to say other existing religion in contemporary world. Why? I consider the customs and ethics, gradually forming through many generations of human, are impossibly determined simply by technological factor.

 

As a matter of fact, customs and ethics are a congregation containing kinds of objective and subjective, natural and human, material and immaterial factors. All these factors are interactional and interlaced, and therefore no single factors can determine the congregation--customs and ethics. For example, the people in England Island developed a so-called ocean culture, while in French a so-called continent one. The two distinct national customs of course influent each other, especially after the construction of Tunnel of English Channel, but clearly no essential change happen on them.

 

In sum, while I wholeheartedly agree the part of the speaker's claim that technologies influent social customs and ethics, I strongly disagree the left part that technologies can actually determine them, because customs and ethics are important part of culture, which is so interwinded that only technology cannot determine it.

 

 

[nsoonhui]

HI flycai, overrall I have no problem with your essay, but I will like to dispute the second paragraph:

 

However, it is hard to conclude that social customs and ethics have some essential changes caused by technology. For instance, on one hand, people have sent numerous satellites, spaceships and space shuttles into outside space. Furthermore, biotechnology and gene engineering make people to explore human body, leading to the mistrust of the theory that God made human beings. However, on the other hand, most social members in West are the Nazarenes, not even to say other existing religion in contemporary world. Why? I consider the customs and ethics, gradually forming through many generations of human, are impossibly determined simply by technological factor.

 

Hmm....the religion itself has evolve with respect to time and in response to the advancement of science. In some cases the technology directly challenges the ethics of the church, and we don't really know wether church will yield to the challenge of technology. One example is abortion. Abortion was considered evil. However the advancement of the pill triggered the sexual revolution, and as a result today liberal Protestant church no longer consider abortion as a sin. One can argue that tech in this case actually determines the code of ethics.

 

Besides that, you point on most westerners are still Nazarene (I guess you mean christian), and so techs can't determine the social ethics...to be frank I found this argument very weak. No, in fact most westerners are not church going christians (with the notable exception of US), and even church goers show little fidelity towards traditional doctrine. It is hard to imagine that tech is not a factor in their backslidding, since the general opinion among socialogist is that the advancement of civilization will make ppl less religious.

 

Just my point of view...feel free to critize

[flyflycai]

Hi, nsoonful, thanks for your advices.

 

Admittedly, I am not very sure about the example of Christian. But what I want to say is that though even the basic of religen, ( say , the GOD's existing) vanished, there are still many believers existing. Is it some paradoxical? Technological advancement does not destroy peoples' , to some extent, faith.

 

In addition, I do not deny the change of customs caused by technology. I emphasize that technology is not the definitive factor to determine culture. I should again claim my view :customs and ethics is so interwinded that only technology cannot determine it.

 

Do you agree my view? Waiting for your reply.By the way, which are u coming from?

[nsoonhui]

Do you agree my view? Waiting for your reply.By the way, which are u coming from?

I agree with your thesis, but I find that your second paragraph is a bit weak, that's it.

 

ANyway, I'm a Malaysian born chinese....I guess you hold the passport of Republic of China?

 

[maxtwo]

88."Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics."

Since the invention of steam engine, since the first sample of light bulb, since the appearance of the first enormous large computer, we are experiencing an era when technology and science simply takes the dominant role over the world. Rapid developing technology and science surely have a great impact on our customs, but it is not certain yet to say that it could determine the social customs and ethics.

 

Most experts regard the invention of computer, and further the World Wide Web, as the greatest invention of the twentieth century, but the conclusion

that they have determined social customs would be dubious. It is apparent that the Internet facilitates the communication between

individuals despite the distance apart. The traditional customs of writing letters and sending telegrams for communication are already an out-dated practice in the eye of some adolescents. Instead, chat rooms , e-mails, and visible cable phone calls are becoming the most popular communicating tools among teenagers. It seems that, from this case,

the technology on the field of communication changes social customs a lot, or say, has determined social customs to some extent. However, it is necessary to point out that letters are still important in some situations, especially those when one needs to show his or her sincere and genuine affection toward the letter-receiver for e-mail gives one an impression of informal and casual. The habit of writing letters is influenced by the invention of the Internet, and somewhat altered. But under some special circumstances e-mails and telephone calls shall hard to take the

place of letters, even in a time when every family has got it¡¯s own computer connected to the web.

 

Another example of collision between high-tech and traditional ethics is pertaining to biotechnology field. Experts and sociologists are becoming fierce at the issue whether or not a cloning baby could be made out from a laboratory. Although the technology of constructing a baby becomes much more feasible, and scientists who advocate for such practice try to convince the mass that it will bring no harm to the human society, surveys about public views on this topic shows that most people still hold the traditional idea and against an artificial baby. One significant reason for such responses among common people is that people are afraid that the traditional family trees, simply to say, the relationship of a parent and his or her offsprings, would be in a great mess if such practice should be carried out and then become popular.

 

Finally, no matter how advanced technology develops, people still take on their traditional festivals all around the world. The way to celebrate

might be different from the past, but the love to celebrate would never cease. Such as the chocolate and roses in Valentine¡¯s Day¡­.

 

To sum up, fast developing technology indeed give us a fresh idea of the world where we live in, and say changes our habits every minute. But some of the social customs and ethics as a traditional heritage would go on as what they used to be, and thus, we cannot say that technologies determine social customs and ethics.