TECHNOLOGY AND CIVILIZATION.* 



By F. Reuleaux. 



From the present status of the world's culture, one can not fail to 

 discern the significant influence of our scientific technology in qualifying 

 us for greater achievements than the past centuries have yet witnessed, 

 whether in connection with rapid transit by land or sea, tunneling 

 mountains, piercing the air, making the lightning our message- bearer 

 from pole to pole or sending our voices across the land ; or whether, 

 indeed, from another point of view we bring into our service the mighty 

 mechanical powers, or adapt and make use of those intangible contriv- 

 ances usually unnoticed by the world at large. 



Everywhere in modern life, about us, in us, with us, beside us, is felt 

 the influence of scientific art acting as an agent and as companion, 

 whose ceaseless service we never realize until for a moment it fails us. 



Commonplace though this be, still it seems to me that in the cultured 

 world and perhaps in the narrower circles of scientific men, this truth 

 is too slightly valued. The value of scientific technology in its true 

 character as producer and promoter of civilization, is too little recog- 

 nized. 



This may result from a confusion of the so-called technical with the 

 unscientific; or on the other hand, from concealnientof its results under 

 a preponderating mass of idealism, its development being cramped by 

 ambition for gain and trammeled by social evils, which go hand in hand 

 with industrial labor. But I will not here consider this side of the 

 question. I would attempt a nearer approach to the inner sanctuary 

 of technology to certain weighty questions, which appear especially 

 deserving of present notice, as : 



What place, particularly in associate working, the technology of our 

 day takes in civilization? A place not so well defined, it appears to me, 

 as is "'hat w6 assign to less important social, political, and scientific 

 events. 



Again, a question occurs as to the chief features of the method fol- 

 lowed by technology to attain its ends, and concerning the plan which 



Translated from Prometheus (Berlin), 1890, vol. I, pp. 625, 641. and 666. 



H. Mis, 129 45 705 



