Technological Change and Social Development

Technology is thought to both expand and stunt our abilities, foment and imperil democracy and enable us to better care for and bring to ruin the world we live in. How can we best analyze and assess such conflicting views? Doing so entails developing a nuanced understanding of the positions held by the leading thinkers who have dealt with the theme of technological change and social development.

Course leader

Ivan Gutierrez specializes in academic and business writing, editing, translation and philosophy. After graduating from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a double B.A. in philosophy and mathematics.

Target group

High School Graduates, University Students. GSSP welcomes university students, high school students, and non-student audiences as well, but the minimum age requirement for the GSSP is 18.

Course aim

The course will focus on three major set of questions:

(1) What is technology? How do we define it, study it, and understand its relation to nature and humanity?

(2) What is the relationship between technology our societal concerns such ethics, politics and the environment? How should we think about this relationship? Where is technology beneficial and where is it problematic?

(3) What is the impact of technology on our lives? Does it degrade or improve? What does the future hold?