Rationality in Technology

The discussion in the philosophy of technology began in the mid-20th century following the accelerated technological development during the World Wars. Today, technology’s influence is evident at all levels, and its budgets are incomparably larger than those of science. Moreover, a significant portion of contemporary science is applied science derived from technological requirements, and the order in which technology was derived from science has been replaced by an order in which science is driven by technology. Technological development has reached a point where, on one hand, its efficiency for human and societal welfare continues to grow, while on the other hand, the dangers it poses to humanity are multiplying. In this state of affairs, the question of rationality in the technological development process, with its unique characteristics, is of great importance.

Science is attributed to theory and perceived as rational, while technology remains in the background, with very limited philosophical discussion about it. The scientific development process usually takes place in a one-dimensional physical space where theories are tested against the world through observations and experiments. In contrast, the technological development process occurs in a multi-dimensional space where the human factor plays a central role; technology depends on society, on needs, environment, culture, politics, the space in which it is developed, and those who use it – but there is no factor comparable to the scientific community that critiques the process, except for its consumers.

The lack of discussion about the rationality of the technological development process can cause harm in any technological-business firm, in entire disciplinary fields, and in society as a whole. For example, the global digital processor field became addicted to Moore’s Law from its inception, according to which it was estimated that approximately every 18 months, processor speeds and digital memory capacities would double. However, technology has reached a breaking point, and this process cannot continue for much longer. The question arises: How did it happen that giant companies in the field, such as Intel, IBM, and AMD, did not attempt to challenge this strategy? The world today faces a problem in the computing field-the solution may be quantum computing, but we will need to wait a long time for that.