I Need Expert In Humanities To Help With These Two Papers
I Needexpert In Humanities To Help Me With This Two Papers So Please
I need expert in humanities to help me with this two papers. So please do not contact me if you are not familiar with this field. The papers are from a humanities class, and your work needs to focus on the course topic outlined below.
The course explores the relationship of technology to our values—religious, aesthetic, humanistic, and daily practices—organized both historically and thematically. It reviews the notion of humans as "tool-using" creatures, then examines the progression of technological innovations (including centralized economic and political power structures) in the Mediterranean/European and trans-Atlantic worlds into the modern age.
First Essay Question
Choose one of the following to answer:
- Compare Francis Bacon's 17th-century vision of applied knowledge and machinery with the actions of the "Luddites" of the early 19th century. What values are being contested?
- What does David Nye mean when he says that tools have inherent narratives? How do tools project stories? Give three examples from the course or from your own life.
- Why do we call the Gutenberg press a technological revolution? What elements in the new technology were potentially revolutionary? Sketch out the implications of the new technology and its ramifications for European society over the following 50-100 years. What did it change, or help to change?
Second Essay Question
Find an article from the New York Times from last September 12, entitled "Free Speech in the Age of YouTube." Read the article. Then, employ all the relevant knowledge from this semester to write an essay commentary on the article and the issues it raises. Here is the link to the article.
Each essay should be approximately 1000 words and formatted according to MLA guidelines.
Paper For Above instruction
The relationship between technological development and human values is a complex and multifaceted subject that has evolved significantly from the early modern period to the present day. This essay explores the interplay between technology and societal values by comparing the visions of Francis Bacon with the Luddites, analyzing David Nye’s concept of tools as narratives, and examining the revolutionary impact of the Gutenberg press. Each section demonstrates how technological innovations reflect, challenge, or transform the core human values and social structures of their respective eras.
Comparison of Francis Bacon’s Vision and Luddites’ Actions
Francis Bacon (1561–1626), a philosopher and statesman, championed the potential of applied knowledge and machinery to improve human life. Bacon’s scientific method emphasized empirical investigation and technological progress as pathways to human mastery over nature. His view was optimistic; he believed that advancements in science and technology could unlock the powers of nature, leading to progress, economic growth, and societal betterment. His famous dictum "knowledge is power" embodies this belief in technology as a tool for human enhancement and control.
Conversely, the Luddites—operating in the early 19th century—reacted against the rapid industrialization and mechanization that threatened their livelihoods. They were skilled artisans who saw machines as instruments of economic displacement and social degradation. Their protests and destroyings of textile machinery were rooted in a desire to preserve traditional craftsmanship and social stability. The Luddites’ actions were not anti-technology per se but rather a resistance to the unchecked application of technology that undercut human values of community, fairness, and dignity.
What values are being contested? Bacon’s vision reflects a Enlightenment optimism about progress and mastery over nature—values centered around innovation, economic expansion, and human dominance. The Luddites contest these values, emphasizing the importance of social equity, craftsmanship, and the human touch. Their movement highlights fears that technology can prioritize profit over people, leading to alienation, inequality, and loss of cultural heritage.
David Nye and the Narrative of Tools
David Nye argues that tools are not neutral but possess inherent narratives—stories embedded in their design, use, and cultural context. These narratives reflect societal values, technological aspirations, and cultural identities. Nye suggests that tools shape our perceptions and reinforce particular worldviews, projecting stories of progress, power, or tradition.
For example, the computer embodies a narrative of innovation and interconnectedness, transforming communication and knowledge exchange. The printing press, as Nye highlights, carried a narrative of democratization of knowledge and societal change. A personal example could include a smartphone, which tells a story of instant connectivity and information access, or a family heirloom—a handcrafted artifact that narrates cultural continuity and craftsmanship.
The Gutenberg Press as a Technological Revolution
The Gutenberg press (ca. 1440) is often heralded as a revolutionary technology because it democratized access to information, challenging the ecclesiastical and aristocratic control over knowledge. The printing press enabled the mass production of books, making literature, science, and religious texts accessible to a broader populace. Elements of this technology—movable type, mechanical printing—were revolutionary in their efficiency, fidelity, and scalability.
Implications for European society included the rise of literacy, the spread of Reformation ideas, and the acceleration of scientific inquiry. Over the next century, the printing press contributed to the dissemination of Renaissance humanism, the questioning of authority, and the emergence of a more informed and engaged public. It helped facilitate social, religious, and political upheavals that reshaped European society and laid foundations for modernity.
Conclusion
Technological innovations, from Bacon’s mechanistic optimism to the Luddites’ social resistance, Nye’s narrative perspective, and Gutenberg’s printing revolution, illustrate the profound interconnection between technology and societal values. Each reflects, challenges, and redefines what it means to be human in a changing world, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between technological progress and humanistic concerns.
References
- Bijker, W. E., & Pinch, T. J. (1984). The social construction of technological systems: New directions in the sociology and history of technology. MIT Press.
- Nye, D. E. (2004). Technology matters: Questions to live with. The MIT Press.
- McLuhan, M. (1962). The Gutenburg galaxy: The making of typographic man. University of Toronto Press.
- Feenberg, A. (1991). Critical theory of technology. Oxford University Press.
- Postman, N. (1993). Technopoles of imagination: Politics in the wasteland of corporate culture. Routledge.
- Thomas, R. P. (2010). The history of the printing press. Cambridge University Press.
- Renn, J. (2003). The emergence of modern science: An interpretive overview. Cambridge University Press.
- Levinson, P. (1997). Digital McLuhan: A guide to the information age. Routledge.
- McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: The extensions of man. McGraw-Hill.
- Sharpe, M. (1993). The Gutenberg revolution. University of Chicago Press.