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Updated: Sep 24, 2025
08:01
Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency
Published on: October 28, 2020
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Summary
This article explores early 20th-century history of technology pioneers and their timeless question: can the human spirit endure the machine age? Their insights remain crucial for navigating modern AI and digital challenges.
Area of Science:
- History of Science and Technology
- Philosophy of Technology
Background:
- Examines the early 20th-century origins of the history of technology.
- Highlights the contributions of pioneering historians: Sigfried Giedion, Abbott Payson Usher, and Lewis Mumford.
Observation:
- Their work, emerging after WWI and the Second Industrial Revolution, grappled with the human spirit's survival in an increasingly mechanized world.
- These historians explored the intersection of machines, humanism, and even cosmic perspectives.
Findings:
- The core question of whether humanity can retain its spirit amidst technological advancement is as relevant today as it was a century ago.
- Their quest to "save the soul of technology" involved deep dives into both mechanical and philosophical realms.
Implications:
- The historical perspectives of Giedion, Usher, and Mumford offer vital lessons for contemporary issues like artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
- This work prompts consideration of whether current historians of technology should actively apply historical insights to modern technogenic problems.
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