Technology and fear: is wonder the key?
Technology is a social practice that embodies the capacity of societies to transform themselves by creating and manipulating not only physical objects, but also symbols and cultural forms. It is an illusion that scientific and socioeconomic drivers are the sole elements determining the destiny of a technology. Although they are important, what is really crucial is the way in which a human community 'metabolizes' a new technology, that is the way in which a new technology becomes part of the mental landscape of people living in that society. In this paper I argue that today, fear of technology mainly emerges from a lack of meaning surrounding the technology revolution. Present technology is developing without a sound cultural framework that could give technology a sense beyond mere utilitarian considerations. Frightening stories then end up being a privileged way to incorporate technology into a meaningful context. However, fear is not the sole emotion that can enable integration of new concepts into mental schemes, two other powerful emotional forces should be considered: wonder and curiosity.
Mordini
Emilio
E
Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship, Via Sistina, 37-00187 Rome, Italy. e.mordini@bioethics.it
D001709:Biotechnology / Q000639:trends*; D003142:Communication; D003469:Culture; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D011639:Public Opinion; D011640:Public Policy; D012945:Social Values