Langdon Winner

“Langdon Winner's blog”

“Several articles by Langdon Winner at the Online Luddism Index”

“Langdon Winner's homepage”

“... In [the] {{w|Benedictines|Benedictine monasteries}} of {{w|medieval Europe}}, spiritual and working life was divided into precise units of time, the {{w|canonical hours}}, as a way to magnify the strength of the monks' religious devotion. This regimen gave rise to a need for devices that could measure time: hence the development of the first simple, reliable clocks.”

“... the arrival of any new technology that has significant power and practical potential always brings with it a wave of visionary enthusiasm that anticipates the rise of a utopian social order. ... From the coming of the {{w|steam locomotive}}, to the introduction of the telegraph, {{w|telephone}}, motion pictures, centrally generated electrical power, automobile, radio, television, nuclear power, {{w|guided missile}}, and the computer (to name just a few), this has been the recurring theme: celebrate! The moment of redemption is at hand.”

“What do philosophers need to know about technology? I mean, of course, philosophers who want to think and write about technology in fruitful ways. What kind of knowledge do we need to have? And how much?”