These thirteen essays explore a crucial historical question that
has been notoriously hard to pin down: To what extent, and by what
means, does a society's technology determine its political, social,
economic, and cultural forms?Karl Marx launched the modern debate
on determinism with his provocative remark that "the hand-mill
gives you society with the feudal lord; the steam-mill, society
with the industrial capitalist," and a classic article by Robert
Heilbroner (reprinted here) renewed the debate within the context
of the history of technology. This book clarifies the debate and
carries it forward.Marx's position has become embedded in our
culture, in the form of constant reminders as to how our
fast-changing technologies will alter our lives. Yet historians who
have looked closely at where technologies really come from
generally support the proposition that technologies are not
autonomous but are social products, susceptible to democratic
controls. The issue is crucial for democratic theory. These essays
tackle it head-on, offering a deep look at all the shadings of
determinism and assessing determinist models in a wide variety of
historical contexts.Contributors: Bruce Bimber. Richard W. Bulliet.
Robert L. Heilbroner. Thomas P. Hughes. Leo Marx. Thomas J. Misa.
Peter C. Perdue. Philip Scranton. Merritt Roe Smith. Michael L.
Smith. John M. Staudenmaier. Rosalind Williams.
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