The Amish and New London Agree: Technology Should Improve Our Lives.

Option 1 – The Amish and New London Agree: Technology Should Improve Our Lives.

For this question keep in mind the three overlapping but distinct kinds of work we discussed in class. You can find introduced in class. You can review them below under: The Three Types of Work.

The Amish and New London in BNW, take a similar approach to integrating new technology into their society. Both take each new invention and consider the effect the invention would have on their well-being before adopting it for wide use. Both societies are very conservative when integrating many inventions, for example, both societies reject many labor saving inventions and technologies because this would result in less work for humans and both communities think work is good for people (albeit for different reasons.) For the Amish this has meant that most modern technology has been rejected, whereas New London would accept a lot of tech that would make life more comfortable and happier so long as it did not reduce their happiness or introduce unnecessary risks. Compare the above approach to our own society where technology is released almost immediately upon discovery regardless of its impact on our well-being so long as it does not have obvious flaws (such as cause explosions/poison/death etc.).

Which approach to technology leads to better lives for human beings? What are the benefits and costs of each approach? Which approach is best for societies overall (or at least best for our society)?

For instance, if robots could perform our jobs and tasks better than we could, should we replace human work with robots both at home and in the broader economy? If you think robots should replace some jobs but not others, what is your criteria for determining which jobs should be replaced and which should not? Remember, since we are trying to figure out if there is more to work than the quality and efficiency of completing the task you should assume that robots and technology can do virtually any task better than a human being can and that the robots are perfectly safe and trustworthy. This means the robots can, among other things, perfectly simulate emotions; provide an ideal-bed side manner for medical patients etc.

Thus, are there any good reasons to still have humans performing tasks if we know that any task they perform could be performed better by technology? (Consider: is there any reason to still use horses to get around when we can use technology to get the same work done only better and faster?) The Amish and New London clearly believe that the answer is yes, since work isn’t just about getting tasks done for either of these societies and the other benefits of work are generally more important to them than getting the task done better, faster etc. To them letting technology take over our work would be a mistake since it would make our lives worse even though the tasks would be completed better than ever. Are they right about this? Should we be more like The Amish or even New London? Why or why not?

Now, think of your own life as an individual or even your family, which approach to technology would be best for your well-being or that of your family and why?

A good essay will;
-Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to technology and work.
-Consider Is work simply a means of production, a way to get things done and make our lives comfortable? Or is work about more than just getting the task done well? For instance, is it about providing purpose, meaning, accomplishment or even just something to do for human beings?
-Include a thesis thats focused and appropriate given the assignment.
-Clearly and succinctly state the main argument for the thesis.
-Correctly identify and defend the arguments controversial premises using sound reasoning, well-chosen examples, insightful analogies, etc.

For reference: The Three Types of Work:
When discussing the value of work we can identify at least three overlapping but distinct kinds of work: 1) Work as necessary or important responsibilities/chores/actions you may have to fulfill, but which you find unpleasant or wish you could avoid. Examples of this type could include everything from going to school, studying for exams, training for and getting a job, taking care of children or the needy, cleaning the house, etc. 2) Work as employment to produce the goods and services necessary for society while also providing income and an occupation to individuals. This type of work focuses on the economic functions jobs or employment provide for both individuals and communities. For example, manufacturing jobs may help a society produce goods and equipment to perform various functions and services, while also allowing for workers to have an occupation (something to do) and income to cover life necessities and other expenses while stimulating the economy. 3) Work as vocation that gives meaning to ones life directly from either the purpose or experience of the work/task itself. This type of work can be a job you are hired to perform or a self-employed vocation that you choose for yourself. But with this type of work you receive positive well-being (an improved life) directly from the work itself and not (just) because the work helps you make money. So, a job someone does not enjoy or find meaningful, but does anyway simply to make money would only count as work under the first two types, since it is not a vocation. Whereas a job you enjoy and find deeply meaningful, but which also provides food, shelter, and income may qualify as an example of work of all three types since it is a vocation and performs the economic functions of ordinary employment and may also be something you must do even on days when you would rather be doing something else. On the other hand, going to school for example would only count as work of the first type for many people since it is not usually a vocation and it is also not a form of employment, but instead is simply something one must do to either get a job or achieve something else.

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