|
|
Technology, Autonomy, and Ethics: to the Centennial of Čapek’s Drama R. U. R.
Drozenová, Wendy
Čapek’s drama R.U.R, which is rather a social dystopia than a science fiction (the principle of functioning of robots is not suggested, the drama is focused on the impact on humanity), shows the double face of technology: The dream about the “liberation of work” easily takes a turn for its opposite, and for destruction of humanity in consequence of ruthless utilization of the technological achievement for selfish economical and militaristic interests. „Autonomous technology“, which is not controlled by human aims any more, but by the rules of its own development, became an important subject of philosophy and ethics of technology (e.g. in works by L. Winner, J. Ellul, H. Jonas), and has a warning effect. Today, Industry 4.0 and the process of robotization bring new promises, but also new problems. The legacy of Karel Čapek includes values of humanism and understanding for other people’s views and needs, which is valuable for developing ethics of technology in democratic society.
|
guest ::
