Science, Technology, and Human Values Essay -- Slaughterhouse-Five Ess

Science, Technology, and Human Values in Sigmund Freuds Civilization and Its Discontents, Henrik Ibsen and Arthur Millers An Enemy of the People, and Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-FiveTechnology has advanced to the menstruum where it touches our lives in nearly every conceivable way-we no longer have to lift a finger to perform the most trivial tasks. The wealth of randomness and science we have learned in the last few centuries have made our lives easier but not always better, especially when concerning civilization as a whole. Ibsen, Freud, and Vonnegut argue that human values have not kept pace with knowledges unceasing expansion, which has become an anathema for the individual person and deleterious to societys delectation, albeit without peoples entire comprehension.Henrik Ibsen, as adapted by Arthur Miller, uses his play An Enemy of the People to illustrate how ones contentedness is not necessarily aided by technology but in numerous instances in fact hindered. When the tow ns main industry, Kirsten Springs, becomes polluted it raises queries from Dr. Stockmann as to its hazardousness to its occupants. Nearly all residents of the little Norwegian city rally behind Aslaksen, the printer and attracter of the business class, in destroying the doctors credibility so that his accusations of the dangerous water will never be believed by tourists, which would result in a prodigious pecuniary loss for all. This quaint town is a representation of humanitys tendencies towards egoism. When money is involved, it doesnt matter what the risk is, regardless of physical injuriousness and potential loss of life. The springs symbolize technology and Dr. Stockmann stands for venerable human values. The technology has become prosperous ... ...ges of technology outweigh the disadvantages to the collective human values of society. Science and Technology are not prosecute to improve the moral values of man and as such will be perpetually in disagreement. Humanity will ne ver cease to effect new technologies and learn about the universe through scientific methods. A persons values on the other hand are not actively augment and will suffer. Society is in need of a refreshing of ethics that stays on par with the development of mans other creations.Works CitedFreud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. Ed. and Trans. pile Strachey. New York Norton, 1962.Ibsen, Henrik and Hampton, Christopher (translator). An Enemy of the People. Boston Faber and Faber, 1997Stoppard, Tom. Arcadia. London Faber and Faber, 1993.Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York Dell Publishing, 1998.