Technology was originally conceived as emancipating, but instead has become a means to domination in the advanced industrial revolution. Marcuse offers a critical theory of domination for advanced industrial society, which sets the framework for how social change and emancipation are transforming. As our society transitioned into a progressive industrial revolution independence of thought, autonomy, and the right to political opposition began fading away thus leading to Marcuse’s theory of a ‘one- dimensional’ universe (page 124 Kindle). While we place meaning in the progress of our society (both technologically and economically), we lose meaning in ourselves. In order to become a society that pushes for freedom and happiness, we must root
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The quality of our life depletes when our only reason for doing is to achieve something else. Life is more than that, but as our ‘two dimensional reality’ withers into a ‘one dimensional society’ we lose our value systems that made us less like robots and more like humans. Technology has the potential to free us while also advancing us as a society; however, if we choose to let it dominate us we will be headed towards a path of self- destruction. Knowledge is power and the domination in which we are experiencing from technology is taking that away and forcing society to function in identical …show more content…
Marcuse’s critical theory of domination allows us to see how our technological advancements, while emancipating, are also dominating. We rationalize systems because we choose to believe that happiness is in our progression and not our freedom. Our culture (i.e. traditions, set of beliefs) used to be enough reason for doing, but in the ‘one dimensional society’ that Marcuse describes we only do things to achieve something else (‘means to an end’). If we allow ourselves to be a ‘two dimensional reality’, we won’t be confined to one influential way of thinking, instead, we can live in a society that is able to have conflicting ideas that add to the betterment of our community and encourage new ways of being instead of becoming robots. Technology does not have to have carry a negative connotation, it has the potential to advance and preserve our culture in a supportive liberating way. Balance is key in remaining a society that progresses positively rather than negatively. Too much of anything is bad and can lead to self- destruction, but a balance of everything will lead to a purposeful life in which we are both free and
The quality of our life depletes when our only reason for doing is to achieve something else. Life is more than that, but as our ‘two dimensional reality’ withers into a ‘one dimensional society’ we lose our value systems that made us less like robots and more like humans. Technology has the potential to free us while also advancing us as a society; however, if we choose to let it dominate us we will be headed towards a path of self- destruction. Knowledge is power and the domination in which we are experiencing from technology is taking that away and forcing society to function in identical …show more content…
Marcuse’s critical theory of domination allows us to see how our technological advancements, while emancipating, are also dominating. We rationalize systems because we choose to believe that happiness is in our progression and not our freedom. Our culture (i.e. traditions, set of beliefs) used to be enough reason for doing, but in the ‘one dimensional society’ that Marcuse describes we only do things to achieve something else (‘means to an end’). If we allow ourselves to be a ‘two dimensional reality’, we won’t be confined to one influential way of thinking, instead, we can live in a society that is able to have conflicting ideas that add to the betterment of our community and encourage new ways of being instead of becoming robots. Technology does not have to have carry a negative connotation, it has the potential to advance and preserve our culture in a supportive liberating way. Balance is key in remaining a society that progresses positively rather than negatively. Too much of anything is bad and can lead to self- destruction, but a balance of everything will lead to a purposeful life in which we are both free and