Han And Roman Attitudes Towards Technology

During the era of classical civilizations, the Han dynasty and the Roman civilization were among the most important forces in the world. These two civilizations had large influences on the world and had elaborate views on various advancements like in politics, art, and religion. However, one of the most important advancements that both civilizations embraced was technology. Within these civilizations, many people had different attitudes toward technology. Their views differed because of various factors such as social classes, government positions, and political placement. While the government officials believed technology had positive effects on society, they still believed it should be improved. The upper class philosophers and political leaders also had ambivalent views toward technology depending on which
civilization they came from. Government officials favored technology but some believed that it could be improved in many ways. According to them, some types of technology should be further developed. This was seen when a Han government official wrote a request to local officials to create water conservation offices for flood prevention. He gave details on how it should be organized like scheduling waterway inspections and hiring workers experienced with the “ways of water.” As demonstrated there, this Han government official believed that the water conservation office would be very beneficial for flood prevention which proves that he favored technology. Huan Guan, another Han government official gave his elaborate views on the iron tools used to make salt and iron. He says that the tools made by individual families had better quality than the ones given by the state to use, “..often crude and not very functional..” He claims that ever since the government took control of the salt and iron trades, the tools dropped in quality which resulted in inflation of salt and iron prices. He believes that the tools manufactured in the past had much better conditions than the current situation. Huan Guan proves that even though technology has positive effects, there is always room for improvement. Roman government officials also believed technology to be favorable. Plutarch, a Roman official, praised the political leader Gaius Gracchus in his road building project. Plutarch expresses how mindful Gracchus was in building the road, “paying attention to utility as well as to that which was beneficial to grace and beauty.” The roads were paved with quarried stone and solidified with masses of tightly packed sand. Additionally the roads had distance indicators, mile by mile, and stone intervals for horse riders. Plutarch demonstrates that technology is beneficial and is convenient in many ways. The attitudes of upper class philosophers differed among each civilization. Han philosophers had a much more positive view than Roman philosophers had toward technology. Huan Tan, a Han philosopher, emphasized the potency of technology in his book, New Discourses. He praised the mythological wise emperor Fuxi’s invention of the pestle and the mortar and explained how it constantly was improving by increasing efficiency. As Huan Tan said, the whole weight of the body was used for it which was then improved by using animals and finally the “benefit was increased a hundredfold” when water power was applied. Huan Tan’s emphasis on the advancements of technology proves that as a Han philosopher, he took great notice and attention to it. On the other hand, Roman philosophers took a rather apathetic attitude. The Roman philosopher Seneca had a very typical Roman perspective of technology. Since the Romans were very rational and would rather get into action than waste time pondering about something, Seneca’s phrase “The question of whether the hammer or the tongs came first does not seem important to me” reflects on this Roman viewpoint. He further expresses his thoughts by saying “I do not believe that the tools for the crafts were invented by wise men.” He doesn’t think that their minds were great and elevated, just nimble and sharp. This describes how Seneca doesn’t believe that craftworkers should be held so proudly because of their inventions. While Han philosophers had positive and potent judgments of technology, Roman philosophers had the opposite and took an indifferent attitude. Political leaders had very similar views to upper class philosophers toward technology.
Again, Han had an approving approach to technology in contrast to the rather negative views of the Romans. In History of the Early Han Dynasty, Tu Shih a governor of Nanyang, was described as a very supportive and popular person among the common people. Tu Shih had invented a water-powered blowing engine for the casting of iron agricultural implements that allowed people to enjoy great benefit for little labor. The book also says that the invention was widely adopted and used. This book doesn’t say much about technology but it shows that it was embraced by the common people and had beneficial values. Unlike Han, the Roman political leader Cicero takes a very degrading view of technology. He specifically bashes on the craftworkers, saying that the jobs hired workers took on are vulgar and unbecoming to a gentleman. According to him, all craftsmen spend their time in vulgar occupations and no workshop would have enlightening about it. This proves that Cicero believed there was nothing that men who made technology should be proud of, which contrasted greatly with Han
ideas.

One of the most important advancements in the Han and Roman civilizations was technology. Many different people had different attitudes toward it. Government officials had approving views of technology. Upper class philosophers and political leaders had ambivalent views. However, despite the elaborate thoughts presented in the given documents, another document stating another groups impressions would further enlighten the overall portrayal of Han and Roman attitudes toward technology. In this case, opinions of lower class citizens. Specifically, labor workers and farmers would complete the visualization perfectly. Even though different people had different attitudes toward technology, negative or positive, it helped shape the Han Dynasty and the Roman civilization into the most influential and powerful forces of its time.