#2: Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society (1/8)
Details
Welcome back! After Heidegger, we now turn to Jacques Ellul's "The Technological Society" (1954), a landmark analysis of how the pursuit of efficiency comes to shape every part of modern life.
New to the group? You're very welcome, no need to have attended the first session.
A NOTE ON THE FORMAT
Unlike Heidegger's short essay, this is a longer work, so we'll carve it up into 8 sessions. It's a seminal work in the philosophy of technology and merits this kind of slow, careful reading. This is session 1 of 8, but you're welcome to join for any part.
THE READING
About 65 pages: the Note to the Reader (p. xxv), the Author's Foreword (pp. xxvii–xxxiii) and Chapter 1, "Techniques" (pp. 3–60). The standard English translation is by John Wilkinson (Vintage). Haven't finished it? Come anyway, we'll start with a short recap.
AGENDA (90 minutes)
19:00 – Doors open
19:05 – Welcome and a short recap of the reading
19:20 – Small breakout groups: main claim, key concepts, does it hold up, is it relevant today?
20:05 – Back together to share the best points
20:30 – End
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT
1. What does Ellul mean by "technique," and why is it much broader than machines?
2. Ellul describes modern technique as "the quest of the one best means in every field." Where do you see that today? Perhaps even in your own life?
3. Does this come at a cost? What do we lose, and can you think of examples?
4. For those who read Heidegger: Heidegger and Ellul both published their key texts in 1954. How do their views of technology differ?
WHAT YOU NEED
A laptop or phone with Zoom and a working microphone. The Zoom link appears on this page once you RSVP. Cameras on are appreciated but not required.