History of Technology

Aim

After completing the course, the student will be able to:

• Describe and explain historial processes that have led to the present-day high-technology society.
• Describe and analyze how technological change influences and is influences by societal change.
• Discuss how technological development interacts with societal and cultural factors such as the distribution of power or ideologies from a historial perspective.

Content

A general introduction is followed by a chronological presentation of developments from pre-historical times to the Industrial Revolution. The last two centuries are primarily dealt with thematically. Some examples of topics that are dealt with in lectures and seminars: Can technology by controlled? Can technological change be predicted? Does technology contribute to homogeny or heterogeneity? Who decides about technological change? How does technology affect our experiences and our thinking? The focus is on western development but some references other cultures.