An Unexpected Journey
Explicit and Implicit Religious Dimensions of Technology Throughout the Ages
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/imre.v19i3.31187Keywords:
technology, symbolic matrix, myth, prehistory, Ancient Greece, Middle Ages, Industrial Revolution, modernityAbstract
Contrary to a widespread assumption, technology is not a neutral reality which can be left to a purely self-referential understanding. Indeed, one cannot seriously grasp technological phenomena without becoming aware of the symbolic matrixes—that is, the wide sets of values, symbols, beliefs and myths—which have encoded technology in given periods of history. This paper examines these major symbolic matrixes from pre-history to the threshold of the present time. Doing so, it attempts to shed light on the deep relationship between technology and religion, explicit and implicit, from the paleolithic silex to the contemporary iPhone.
References
Bataille, Georges. 1955. Lascaux or the Birth of Art: The Prehistoric Paintings. Geneva: Skira.
———. 1989. Theory of Religion. Cambridge, MA: Zone.
Caillois, Roger. 1960. Man and the Sacred. New York: Glencoe.
Callon, Michel, Pierre Lascoumes and Yannick Barthe. 2001. Agir dans un monde incertain. Essai sur la démocratie technique. Paris: Seuil. Daumas, Maurice. 1969. The Origins of Technological Civilization. New York: Crown.
Duby, Georges. 1966. The Making of the Christian West. Geneva: Skira.
———. 1974. The Early Growth of the European Economy: Warriors and Peasants from the Seventh to the Twelfth Century. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Gimpel, Jean. 1976. The Medieval Machine: the Industrial Revolution of the Middle Ages. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Eliade, Mircea. 1978. A History of Religious Ideas. Volume I: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
———. 1982. A History of Religious Ideas. Volume II: From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
———. 1985. A History of Religious Ideas. Volume III: From Muhammad to the Age of the Reforms. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Ellul, Jacques. 1980. The Technological System. New York: Continuum.
Feenberg, Andrew. 2010. Between Reason and Experience: Essays in Technology and Modernity. Boston: MIT Press.
Gabor, Dennis. 1970. Innovations: Scientific, Technological and Social. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gille, Bertrand. 1986. The History of Techniques. Vol. I, Techniques and civilizations; vol. II, Techniques and sciences. New York: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.
Habermas, Jürgen. 1970. “Technology and Science as ‘Ideology’.” In Toward a Rational Society. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Harrison, Peter, ed. 2010. The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Heidegger, Martin. 1977. The Question Concerning Technology, and Other Essays. London: Garland.
Janicaud, Dominique. 1994. Powers of the Rational. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Leroi-Gourhan, André. 1993. Gesture and Speech. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Masson, Olivier. 2014. “Turning into Gods. Transhumanist Insight on Tomorrows’s Religiosity.” Implicit Religion 17(4): 443–458. https://doi.org/10.1558/imre.v17i4.443
Ménard, Guy. 2000. “L’ambivalence du silex. Réflexions sur la technique et son autre.” In L’autre de la technique, edited by Serge Cantin and Robert Mager, 59–69. Paris and Québec: L’Harmattan and Presses de l’Université Laval.
Ménard, Guy and Christian Miquel. 1988. Les ruses de la technique. Le symbolisme des techniques à travers l’histoire. Montréal and Paris: Boréal and Méridiens-Klincksieck.
Merton, Robert K. 1938. “Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century England.” Osiris 4. https://doi.org/10.1086/368484
Mumford, Lewis. 1971. The Myth of the Machine: Technics and Human Development. London: Secker and Warburg.
Needham, Joseph. 1969. The Grand Titration: Science and Society in East and West. London: Allen and Unwin.
Otto, Rudolf. 1923. The Idea of the Holy. New York: OVI.
Stahl, William A. 2002. “Technology and Myth: Implicit Religion in Technological Narratives.” Implicit Religion 5(2): 93–103.
White, Lynn T. 1962. Medieval Technology and Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Vernant, Jean-Pierre. 1983. Myth and Thought Among the Greeks. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Veyne, Paul. 1988. Did the Greeks Believe in their Myths? Chicago,. IL: Chicago University Press.
Vidal-Naquet, Pierre. 1977. Economic and Social History of Ancient Greece. London: B.T. Basford.
———. 1989. Theory of Religion. Cambridge, MA: Zone.
Caillois, Roger. 1960. Man and the Sacred. New York: Glencoe.
Callon, Michel, Pierre Lascoumes and Yannick Barthe. 2001. Agir dans un monde incertain. Essai sur la démocratie technique. Paris: Seuil. Daumas, Maurice. 1969. The Origins of Technological Civilization. New York: Crown.
Duby, Georges. 1966. The Making of the Christian West. Geneva: Skira.
———. 1974. The Early Growth of the European Economy: Warriors and Peasants from the Seventh to the Twelfth Century. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Gimpel, Jean. 1976. The Medieval Machine: the Industrial Revolution of the Middle Ages. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Eliade, Mircea. 1978. A History of Religious Ideas. Volume I: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
———. 1982. A History of Religious Ideas. Volume II: From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
———. 1985. A History of Religious Ideas. Volume III: From Muhammad to the Age of the Reforms. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Ellul, Jacques. 1980. The Technological System. New York: Continuum.
Feenberg, Andrew. 2010. Between Reason and Experience: Essays in Technology and Modernity. Boston: MIT Press.
Gabor, Dennis. 1970. Innovations: Scientific, Technological and Social. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gille, Bertrand. 1986. The History of Techniques. Vol. I, Techniques and civilizations; vol. II, Techniques and sciences. New York: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.
Habermas, Jürgen. 1970. “Technology and Science as ‘Ideology’.” In Toward a Rational Society. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Harrison, Peter, ed. 2010. The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Heidegger, Martin. 1977. The Question Concerning Technology, and Other Essays. London: Garland.
Janicaud, Dominique. 1994. Powers of the Rational. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Leroi-Gourhan, André. 1993. Gesture and Speech. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Masson, Olivier. 2014. “Turning into Gods. Transhumanist Insight on Tomorrows’s Religiosity.” Implicit Religion 17(4): 443–458. https://doi.org/10.1558/imre.v17i4.443
Ménard, Guy. 2000. “L’ambivalence du silex. Réflexions sur la technique et son autre.” In L’autre de la technique, edited by Serge Cantin and Robert Mager, 59–69. Paris and Québec: L’Harmattan and Presses de l’Université Laval.
Ménard, Guy and Christian Miquel. 1988. Les ruses de la technique. Le symbolisme des techniques à travers l’histoire. Montréal and Paris: Boréal and Méridiens-Klincksieck.
Merton, Robert K. 1938. “Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century England.” Osiris 4. https://doi.org/10.1086/368484
Mumford, Lewis. 1971. The Myth of the Machine: Technics and Human Development. London: Secker and Warburg.
Needham, Joseph. 1969. The Grand Titration: Science and Society in East and West. London: Allen and Unwin.
Otto, Rudolf. 1923. The Idea of the Holy. New York: OVI.
Stahl, William A. 2002. “Technology and Myth: Implicit Religion in Technological Narratives.” Implicit Religion 5(2): 93–103.
White, Lynn T. 1962. Medieval Technology and Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Vernant, Jean-Pierre. 1983. Myth and Thought Among the Greeks. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Veyne, Paul. 1988. Did the Greeks Believe in their Myths? Chicago,. IL: Chicago University Press.
Vidal-Naquet, Pierre. 1977. Economic and Social History of Ancient Greece. London: B.T. Basford.
Published
2016-12-14
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Ménard, G. (2016). An Unexpected Journey: Explicit and Implicit Religious Dimensions of Technology Throughout the Ages. Implicit Religion, 19(3), 425-438. https://doi.org/10.1558/imre.v19i3.31187
