perm filename INDIV.ESS[CUR,JMC]1 blob
sn#110700 filedate 1974-07-27 generic text, type T, neo UTF8
00100 It is often said that the advance of technology is at the
00200 expense of people's individuality. It is certainly true that
00300 some of the opportunities provided by technology for making
00400 things with less labor have involved the division of labor
00500 and replacing the labor of craftsmen with the unskilled labor
00600 of machine operators doing small operations. Thus technology
00700 provides societies and individuals with the opportunities
00800 to make certain tradeoffs and societies and individuals have
00900 often chosen cheapness over craftsmanship. In my opinion most
01000 of these decisions have been correct from the point of view
01100 of most of those directly affected. This is shown by the
01200 migration of people into areas where the changes have taken
01300 place from areas with the more primitive economies.
01400
01500 However, society is much richer now than it was
01600 when the industrial revolution started, and it is time
01700 to look at opportunities that may be provided by technology
01800 for increasing the power and opportunities of individuals.
02000 In this, we shall include individuality in work, in self-expression,
02100 in culture, and all other areas of life.
02200
02300 In the first place, many such opportunities have already
02400 been taken.
02500 The most important of these opportunities was provided
02600 by the automobile. In my opinion, this is the correct way to
02700 interpret the abandonment of public transportation by all who
02800 could afford cars in spite of the greater physical efficiency
02900 of public transportation.