Is technological progress determined by social needs or does it happen independently?

This article discusses the relationship between technology and society and compares technological determinism and social determinism. Using historical and contemporary examples, it emphasizes that technological progress is driven by societal needs, explains the difference between science and technology, and the value-neutrality of technology.

 

We often say things like, “If you can’t study, you should learn a skill to make a living.” While this may be just a passing remark, it shows that technology is undervalued in society. Throughout South Korea’s history, engineers have rarely held high government positions, and until relatively recently, the path to success by learning technology seemed remote. But now, as society advances on the cutting edge of technology, the status of technology is rising dramatically.
As technology has emerged as a key growth engine for the economy, it has also sparked a debate about the nature of technology: does technological development precede or follow social change? Many people believe that the development of the steam engine led to the development of industry, which led to the development of society. This is the argument of technological determinism, which states that technological progress drives society. However, on the surface, it only seems like technology drives society. In reality, social determinism makes more sense because technology is driven by society’s needs and exists to serve society.
Before we go any further, it’s important to note the difference between science and technology. This is because confusing science and technology can undermine the entire argument. In general, technology is practical, and while science can be found outside through observation, technology comes from people’s minds because it has to be applied in practice. For example, if you blow on a balloon and see it get bigger, and you make the observation that “people blow on it, which changes the pressure of the air in the balloon, which makes it bigger,” and you come up with the first law of thermodynamics, that’s science. However, the process of using this process to create something practical, such as a steam engine that pushes water vapor against the walls of a piston, is technology. Also, when someone observes nuclear fission and organizes its principles, it is science, and when someone uses the energy from nuclear fission to create nuclear bombs or nuclear power, it is technology.
Now, let’s look at how society has influenced the development of technology. In the past, people developed technologies based on the needs of society. In the agricultural era, people developed farming tools to make farming better. Better materials were needed to make these tools, which led to the use of stone, bronze, and iron. This is represented by the development of the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages as we know them. At first glance, you might think that because they were created by manipulating stone, bronze, and iron, societies evolved to use these materials. However, the names of the periods don’t necessarily indicate that societies were formed as materials evolved into stone, bronze, and iron. Language always comes after something, so it’s inaccurate to use language to order technology and society.
In reality, the materials of the time needed to become stronger. In order to defend their tribe and increase the efficiency of farming, people sought to manipulate harder materials at their disposal. The first stone they used was strong but difficult to shape into the desired shape, so they used bronze, which was a bit harder but could be shaped with fire. Once they realized that fire could be used to melt materials such as bronze, they melted a variety of materials, most commonly stone, to create iron. Melting iron required high temperatures of fire, so if they were simply trying to capitalize on frustration, they wouldn’t have developed the technology, but they developed the skills to handle higher temperatures of fire to further advance their society.
What does this look like in the modern world? In a lecture by Professor Moo Young Choi of Seoul National University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, he argues that in the modern world, technology drives demand, citing cell phones and software as examples. We create demand by adding features that we don’t necessarily recognize as necessary. However, if we look at the inner workings of the technology development process, we can see that technology does not create demand, but rather need or demand creates technology. First, the developers of the technology have to think there is a need for it, and then they have to get investment to pay for the development of the technology. Only when investors think it’s necessary will the technology be developed. From this, we can see that in order for a technology to be developed, it has to be something that someone needs, which means that it is driven by demand from investors who anticipate public demand. On the other hand, if investors or developers don’t see a need, the technology won’t be developed. For example, in late 2002, Samsung released a cell phone with a 64-chord ringtone, but it was never developed with higher chords because the company believed that 64 was the maximum number of chords that humans could distinguish. This shows that technology is influenced by society.
The survival and development of technologies like this is very much related to the evolution of organisms. Technologies that are frequently used will evolve, while those that are not will fade away. For example, cell phones became more convenient and the beeper disappeared. As cell phones became more popular, the use of beepers decreased, and cell phone technology became more advanced.
When a technology reaches its limits, other technologies are often incorporated to keep up with the demands of society. By using two technologies simultaneously in one product, another technology is born. These technological developments also satisfy society’s desire to use one tool rather than two. For example, digital cameras were initially developed with a focus on increasing the number of pixels, but once the pixels became so high that people could no longer tell the difference, the limitations began to show. Instead of increasing the pixels, digital camera companies began to add other features that people needed, such as internet capabilities that allowed them to post photos directly to social communities. This reduced the hassle of having to connect to a computer. As you can see, the development of technology and the phenomenon of technology integration is also predicated on the needs and demands of society.
As society advances, technology and science will also advance. And humans are, and should be, the ones who enjoy them. After all, it is humans who decide whether to utilize the principle of nuclear fission for nuclear power or weapons of mass destruction. The technology itself is neutral and has no value. This value-neutrality of technology is the reason why humans should always be cautious when using technology, and why philosophical and humanistic thinking is necessary when dealing with technology.