Richard Slove's Future

Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us

Richard Sclove defines the term “polypotency” as “potent in many ways” which is an applicable term in today’s technologies vocabulary. Sclove considers technologies “polypotent” because all technologies are associated with various hidden social effects and meanings, and that it is mostly in moral excellence of these effects that technologies come to function as a social structure. Technologies essentially work to structure the social characteristics in society by going beyond its intended purpose. People portray technologies in terms of a single primary intended function or occasionally several functions it is intended to accomplish. Society has come to recognize that technologies
tend to create at least two basic effects. Firstly, technologies may produce environmental concerns: air or noise pollution, exhaustion of resources, or a dramatic effect on an ecosystem, which could have a direct or indirect effect on human life. Secondly, technologies may encourage unintentional social consequence such as the replacement of production workers by robots or a community experiencing a sudden and rapid population and economic growth (Winston & Edelbach, 2012). I agree with Sclove that technology has this characteristic.
Technology has a profound effect on the way we structure our societies, people should actively engage in discovering the optimistic and pessimistic characteristics of new technologies. During its use, we discover it does more than what it was originally designed to do. My example to demonstrate what Sclove terms the “polypotency” of technology is the automobile. Automobiles were designed to provide a way to transport people and cargo at a quicker and more convenient way over the current methods that existed at the time, such as horses, horse-drawn carriages, trains, and
boats. The invention of the automobile has not only provided a faster and more private mode of transportation, it has altered our social structure far past its original purpose of improving transportation. Like the hammer used by Sclove as an example of “polypotency” the automobile has allowed individuals to learn about the surface and mechanical properties of materials used to build it, develop critical thinking skills, improve awareness of current surroundings, and generates sound. Automobiles permit individuals to acquire competence and confidence as they drive more often and have become a symbol of self-reliance by allowing individuals the freedom to go from one location to another when needed. People recognized that you could travel further distances in less time, particularly for work. They also grasped the notion they could move away from urban areas while still maintaining a normal culture, thus allowing for a separation among the poor, middleclass, and rich societies. The automobiles functions of social characteristics can differ; as in, an individual can chose to ride alone or invite others to ride with him.
Individuals recognize the automobile in different functions, in today’s society, whereas an automobile has become more than just a modest mode of transportation anymore, but part of a social characteristic status. E.g. exotic car owners vs. truck owners vs. fuel-efficient owners. Some people are more interested in the automobile’s options, energy efficiencies and the manufacture brand rather than the true purpose of the vehicle. One of the main concerns is the ownership of the most modern and up-to-date models. Peer pressure in society, can focus on who can purchase the newest model with the most options, have the ability to determine an individual’s popularity or hierarchy in the social structure. The top of the line model is the most preferred automobile; however, most families cannot afford the additional financial burden and possibly have the likelihood of upsetting the relationship among the family members or the social interactions with others. The usage of automobiles has led to other modern day social technologies characteristic habits. For example, advancements in cell phone technology, while good have led to texting or talking while driving on cell phones, therefore accidents or deaths in automobiles have increased over the past decades. Another social characteristic of automobile ownership is the impact it has on
the environment with air and noise pollution. These two impacts can have far-reaching effects into future generations. Automobiles also have a social relationship with the development of technologies with large corporations and the government looking at ways to improve current air and noise pollution issues, fuel economy, alternative fuel sources and safer products. As Sclove points out, it is important, that we recognize the fact that technology is polypotent and understand the relationship of technologies. Technologies help to standardize social behavior in our society because they are themselves governed by both physical and political laws; however, misuse can entail a socially enforced penalty. It is important that we understand that technologies can outline or influence the behavior and relationship of our society. It structures the social relations in which we live and many people unfortunately do not realize the additional social circumstances that can be impacted by technologies (Winston & Edelbach, 2012).

References Winston, M., & Edelbach, R. (2012). Society, Ethics, and Technology (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.