The Great Reversal: How We Let Technology Take Control of the Planet

by David Edward Tabachnick

Every day, we are presented with new technologies that can influence human thought and action, such as psychopharmaceuticals, new generation performance enhancing drugs, elective biotechnology, and gastric bypass surgery. Have we let technology go too far in this respect? In The Great Reversal , David Edward Tabachnick contends that this question may not be unique to contemporary society. Through an assessment of the great works of philosophy and politics, Tabachnick explores the largely unrecognized history of technology as an idea. The Great Reversal takes the reader back to Aristotle's ancient warning that humanity should never allow technical thinking to cloud our judgment about what makes for a good life. It then charts the path of how we began to relinquish our deeply rooted intellectual and practical capacities that used to allow us to understand and regulate the role of technologies in our lives. As the rise of technology threatens our very humanity, Tabachnick emphasizes that we still may have time to recover and develop these capacities - but we must first decide how far we want to allow technology to determine our existence and our future.

Genres: Philosophy

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2012

About the author

David Edward Tabachnick is a professor of political science at Nipissing University. His research focuses on linking ancient political thought to contemporary politics and ethics. He is the author of The Great Reversal: How We Let Technology Take Control of the Planet and the co-editor of The Ancient Lessons for Global Politics book series.

Reviews

[Harry Fulgencio · Rating 4 out of 5]

130 pages of a well researched book (basing on the notes and bibliographies), it gives a glimpse of the dialectics surrounding how technology influences us for better or worse. I particularly like the reflective tone and persona of the author as he presents the various philosophical, and contemporary works.

If you do not have time but want to get the gist of this book go to page 102.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-framed and well-researched but becomes a bit preachy. Great foundation for more reading on the Philosophy of Technology