The Impact of Technological Change on Human Societies and Psychologies
Both Rebecca Harding Davis and Frederick Winslow Taylor make poignant arguments about the impact of technological change on human societies and psychologies. In Life in the Iron Mills, Davis critiques technology and the social changes it creates primarily from a Marxist perspective. Her emphasis on class reveals an underlying assumption that Davis makes: that technology is inherently harmful to the working classes. In fact, Davis suggests that technology is almost always the enemy of the working class based on her vivid, horrific descriptions of industrial laborers. Taylor, on the other hand, presents technology from a utilitarian point of view. Technological change, according to Taylor, can evoke enormous opportunities for prosperity across all rungs of the class ladder. Thus, Taylor offers a rich counter-argument to Davis in his book The Principles of Scientific Managemen
For one, technology increases access to information. Moreover, technology opens opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures. Technology has the capacity to make people lazy, suggests Taylor. Therefore, Taylor's argument more accurately reflects the impact technological change has on human society. In that sense, Taylor also reflects what Davis points out as the soullessness of modern industrial society. However, Davis places an unreasonable amount of blame on the impersonal forces of technological change. In Life in the Iron Mills Mitchell laughs and exclaims, "Money has spoken!" Here, Davis emphasizes the role that technology plays in generating wealth. Her dystopic vision is understandable and reasonable given the still widespread problem of poverty and inequality worldwide and even within the wealthiest nations in the world. Insufficient checks on corporate enterprise, unequal wealth distribution, and basic human greed are the root causes of income disparity, not technology. In liberal democracies based on free and open markets, technology can help people prosper so long as social institutions such as schools, health care, and banking is kept under tight regulation by citizens concerned about making the world a better place. Instead of claiming that income disparity is the direct by-product of technology, Taylor lauds technology for enabling greater freedom and opportunity for all human beings. Davis posits technology as the culprit for the downfall of civilization and for the death of the human spirit. Davis and Taylor would both agree that technology and technological change can bring about prosperity.
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