Hope For The Future
A Critique of Chapter 11 in Neil Postman's Technopoly In chapter 11 ("The Loving Resistance Fighter") of the book Technopoly, published in 1992, Neil Postman focuses on a solution to the problems created by Technopoly. A "Technopoly" (a word postman capitalizes throughout the book) is a society that no longer merely uses technology as a support system but instead is shaped by it. Postman proposes that we become "loving resistance fighter(s)" who retain "the narratives and symbols that once made the United States the hope of the world"(p.182). He believes education is to lead the resistance against technology by changing the curriculum to help restore a sense of meaning and purpose lost to the Technopoly. This change in curriculum puts a large emphasis on humanity's historical development. As an engaging cultural critic, professor at New York University, and author of numerous books on the themes of education and technology, Neil Postman is well positioned to comment on the relation of technology to culture. The relation as he sees it is one in which culture is subservient to and controlled by both invisible (I.Q. scores, statistics, polling techniques) and visible (television, computers, automobiles
The friendly tone used throughout the book creates an intimacy between Postman and the reader, as though they are good friends having an informal discussion. These people go to experts to find out how to raise children, how to fall in love, and how to make friends, as if they believe that because these subjects are "sciences" that they are getting verifiable, indisputable truths about the world. He states, "such a course would deal with religion as an expression of humanity's creativeness, as a total, integrated response to fundamental questions about the meaning of existence" (198). Semantics would teach youth to answer questions such as "What is the meaning of (the word) X?" They do this by studying what signs are, as well as how signs possess significance-that is, how they are intended by speakers, how they designate (make reference to things and ideas), and how they are interpreted by listeners. For example, in chapter 3 ("From Technocracy to Technopoly"), Postman describes (using enumeration) the four interrelated reasons for the rise of Technopoly in America (52-53). One priest phrased the question "Is it permissible to smoke while praying?" and the response was no because praying should be the focus of ones attention; the other priest asked "Is it permissible to pray while smoking?" and the response was yes, since it is always appropriate to pray. The chapter clearly relates back to many topics Postman commented on earlier in the book and finally proposes his idea that Technopoly can possibly be conquered through a new curriculum, although it may be an extreme challenge. This direction is based on the idea of the loving resistance fighter. Another example of a resistance fighter is a person who does not allow psychology or any "social science" to pre-empt the language and thought of common sense. The loving resistance fighter is the perfect balance of admiration for the country and resistance to Technopoly. Names reassure us, but do we really understand the meaning. Postman states that ones education is helpful not only in advancing the idea of the resistance fighter, but in helping the young understand the meaning of subjects in an idea-centered and coherence-centered manner. It may also restrict us from seeing solutions to problems that may become visible through a question worded differently.
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Acceptance Essays
