Modern technogenic civilization has several key features. The main one is that in such a society, scientific progress and individual freedom always come first .
The appearance of the term
The term "technogenic civilization", or "technocratism", appeared in 1921. It was first used by the sociologist Thorstein Veblen. In his book Engineers and the Price System, the researcher emphasized the importance of joining the efforts of engineers around the world to improve life on earth.
This concept quickly became popular in the scientific community. Followers of Veblen continued the search for their predecessor. Several theories have appeared about what anthropogenic civilization is. First of all, it was opposed to traditional society. Such a civilization is characterized by the fact that its members are trying to maintain their former way of life. They focus on tradition and painfully endure change. This is a society with a slow social development. Technogenic civilization is built around opposing principles - individual freedom, progress, innovation in all spheres of life, readiness to adapt to rapid changes.
Fundamentals of anthropogenic civilization
Technocratism is not only civilization (that is, the way of society), but also ideology. Its supporters believe that there is nothing more important than the development of science. Along with this, the development of technology leads to changes in social life. Technical growth is not just fun for scientists. It is also a way to solve many social problems (for example, to bridge the gap between rich and poor).
Modern civilization (technogenic) is changing not only the way of life of people, but also the political system. Such an ideology implies that the state should be governed not by a charismatic leader, but by a clear institution of power. Country governance mechanisms in a technocratic society work without regard to a particular politician. In fact, the personality of the ruler becomes secondary. In the first place is the state machine itself, which with the help of its social elevators takes up only high-quality managers, and not populists, who promise the mountains of gold to the voters . Technogenic civilization is managed by professionals - people who for a long time have achieved high qualifications in their field.
Background
Today it is difficult to deny that science is the main engine of progress. However, the attitude towards technology development was not always rosy. Even when humanity left behind an era of barbarism, science was for a long time the lot of marginals. The first world civilizations that arose in Antiquity certainly belonged to the group of traditional societies. Traditions and customs occupied an important place in all of them.
The first prerequisites for the emergence of anthropogenic civilization can be noted in ancient Greek policies. These were independent cities, and thinkers and scientists played an important role in their lives. The policies were governed by the principles of democracy, which replaced the classical tyranny of a despot. It was in these cities that many significant human inventions appeared.
Fighting Traditional Society
The difference between traditional society and technological civilization is enormous. Therefore, people had to prove their right to progress for many centuries. A noticeable development of technogenic civilization began in the 15th – 16th centuries, when Western Europe learned about the existence of the New World. The discovery of land on distant shores spurred the curiosity of the inhabitants of the Catholic world. The most enterprising and proactive of them became seafarers and researchers. They discovered the world around them and enriched the knowledge of compatriots. This process could not but affect the general state of minds. In the end, the amount of knowledge turned into quality.
One of the main obstacles to the development of early technogenic society was religion. The church in medieval Europe was an important institution, both spiritual and political. Her opponents were declared heretics and burned at the stake. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Reformation movement arose in Germany. His mastermind, Martin Luther, advocated for church reform. The preacher had many supporters, including in princely German dynasties. Armed struggle soon began between the Protestants and the Catholics. It spilled over into the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), after which the principle of religious freedom was established in many countries of Europe.
The impact of progress on the economy
In the new society, much more resources went to the development of education. Universities opened, people studied and explored the world around them. The development of technology has led to economic growth. Important inventions such as a loom or, for example, a steam boiler, allowed some countries to increase their own production and increase the welfare of citizens.
The industrial revolution of the 19th century made England the main world power with colonies in all parts of the world. Of course, it was already a technogenic civilization. The problems of its development were associated with the fact that people who became masters of the whole world did not immediately learn how to use its resources correctly.
The importance of civil liberties
During the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, a synthesis of many ideas of the ancient world and Christian civilization took place. The new ideology received only the best from these two foundations. In particular, it was a love of man. The ideas of the Enlightenment stated that in the world there is nothing more important than a single person.
These principles today form the basis of the constitutions of most states of the world. Human centricity was first proclaimed a key idea after the declaration of US independence. The constitution of this new country has enshrined all basic modern civil liberties. A few years later France followed a similar path, where a revolution took place that destroyed the old order in the face of a conservative absolute monarchy. Subsequently, over another two centuries, different societies sought civil liberties in their own ways, without which it would be impossible to imagine anthropogenic civilization.
The triumph of technological civilization
In the XX century, man and technological civilization moved to a new stage of their development. At this time, the pace of social change dramatically accelerated. Today, one generation has as many new things as there were not a few centuries before. Technogenic civilization is also sometimes called "Western", emphasizing the place of its origin. Today, the main cloisters of such orders are Europe and the USA.
It is important that today the crisis of technogenic civilization can no longer happen, because the sources of its development were not new cultural zones as before (colonialism, etc.), but the restructuring of an existing order. The main success of the transition from traditional society to technocracy can be considered a change in values. Today, the most important thing for society is any innovation, something new, as a phenomenon.
Traditional and technogenic civilization cannot coexist together. Therefore, modern society is characterized by a dynamic spread to all corners of the planet. Traditional societies themselves get rid of contact with the latest technology. Adherents of traditions and haters of progress have only one way to survive in today's world - to put their society on the path of isolation. This is how North Korea lives, which does not recognize the discoveries of the West and does not even support economic relations with it.
Human and nature
One of the most important dominants in technological civilization has always been the desire of man to subjugate nature. A person did not immediately learn to take care of the world around him. His vigorous activity associated with the intensive use of natural resources often leads to industrial disasters that harm the environment. In a series of such examples, one can note the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This is the same case when people too quickly took up the use of new technology, not yet learning how to use it. Humanity has only one home. Irrational attitude to nature is one of the main problems of technocracy.
It is fundamentally necessary for a member of such a society to engage in transformative activities. It is with this rule that those values of anthropogenic civilization are connected, thanks to which it constantly changes its own foundations.
Place of personality in a new society
The advent of technological civilization has changed the position of man in society. In a traditional society, people are extremely dependent on the supreme authority, traditions and caste system.
In today's world, personality is autonomous. Everyone can, at their request, change their environment, contacts, work circle. He is not attached to dogmatic orders. Modern man is free. Independence is necessary for the individual development and self-realization. Technogenic civilization, which is built on innovation and discovery, encourages and supports the individuality of each individual.