Condorcet and the Attitude towards Technology

When one considers the opinions of Condorcet concerning human development and progress, one will come to the conclusion that he was a man whose opinions of the latter were progressive. One would even go as far as to state that he would have wholeheartedly supported the technological development of the human race because this would lead to the further advancement of the race as well as the improvement of the lives of all individuals within it. Condorcet’s views can be said to have been of the opinion that the development of technology was an essential part of human development and that it was a means through which the progress of the society could be measured. The fact that technology was seen as a measure of the way the human society progressed may have been the motivation behind which Condorcet saw the future of the human race as a whole, and as an enlightenment philosopher, he may have found inspiration in it. In his opinion, the development of technology was synonymous with the development of civilisation and because of this; it did not have a singular origin, instead coming from diverse cultures. If one were to consider Condorcet’s opinion on technology, it can be said that it has the sole aim of increasing the efficiency of production as well as ensuring that human lives are improved.

Among the most fundamental uses of technology is that it provides the means through which suitable methods can be used in solving problems. The use of technology can be said to be an effective means of teaching future generations hence the creation of effective learning environments which is conducive for learning. If Condorcet’s views concerning technology were to be put into practice today, then it can be said that it was necessary for universal education to be provided for all individuals so that the knowledge gained would be further improved by the students. Because of this belief, individuals had to have equal rights to education because this was the main means through which civilisation could be transmitted and as a result, there would have been a swifter development of technology. Civilisation did not have a single origin and in fact, the various civilisations and the technologies that they used had diverse origins hence the need to have an equal understanding between them. In Condorcet’s view, since civilisations were either absorbed by others or amalgamated to form more advanced ones, it was necessary for all the civilisations in the world to develop an understanding of each other because this would be the only way through which there would develop massive human progress.

Technology was not a static form of civilisation, and in fact, it changed constantly as improvements were made to it in order to suit the different needs of its users. in the current world, the use of technology has become so widespread that the demand for it has far outstripped supply and this might as well be a manifestation of Condorcet’s vision for the human race as well as his opinion of where human progress should be headed. It has seen the cooperation at present between companies, academia and governments from different continents and regions that have ensured that there is not only understanding between them, but also the establishment of common goals that can be put into use for human development. While this has been the case, the opinions of Condorcet concerning the cooperation of people from different civilisations have remained true because of the fact that there is no equality between these civilisations and their technologies. In the current world, it is a fact that the technology of European origins has come to dominate the world as he had predicted, and this has put the technologies developed by other civilisations into an awkward position since they have been relegated to the sidelines of human development. Condorcet’s fear that Europeans and their way of life would come to dominate the world at the expense of other civilisations, some far much older, has come true as the western world has come to push its ways over others, without any attempt being made to understand the latter.

In conclusion, one would agree with Condorcet that while technological development is the means through which human progress can be measured, it is also the means through which some civilisations end up gaining power over others. It has become a means through which the injustice of races which deem themselves to be superior have used to dominate others. It is therefore essential for there to be dialogue between different civilisations in the world so that there can be technological development for mutual benefit.