issue 88 第十七次作业

georgiayzhUID: 2225237

ISSUE   88
"Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics."
技术不仅仅影响而且实际上是决定了社会传统和道德规范。
提纲：
•赞成部分。科技的确影响和改变了我们的生活。以家庭为例，习俗方面，人们从tool age的时候使用labor force，machine age的时候使用engine,生活习俗自然有很大的改变。这些改变也影响到了道德方面。Tool age 人们为了劳动力集中，基本上都是大家庭的模式，父母儿女几代生活在一起。而到了machine age， 大家庭逐渐分裂为单个的小家庭：core family, single family, dink family 这些都与技术进步带来的完善的社会保障有密切关系。在tool age, single和 dink家庭是不可想象的。
•反对部分。尽管技术进步给人类社会带来了很大的影响，但仍有很多方面是技术所不能改变的。习俗方面，比如节日。千百年来，人类的生活发生了很多变化，但是对节日的热情丝毫也没有减退。西方的传统节日比如Christmas—Santa Claus, Thanks-giving Day—family together, turkey, Saint Valentine’s Day—rose and chocolate等的习俗几乎没有发生任何变化。而在伦理道德方面，一些社会道德规范，如诚实、善良、忠实等依然没有变化，在法庭上证人作证时仍旧要手按圣经起誓不作伪证perjury。宗教方面受到科技进步的影响也是微乎其微的。
正文：
  Do technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics? The speaker claims so. I concede that social customs and ethics have been changing more or less based on the progress of technologies; in my view, however, the speaker overstate the influence of technologies—there are also many areas that technologies cannot involve.

  Admittedly, the progress of technologies do influence the way people live. One needs look no further than the change of family. In social customs, for example, the shift from inefficient labor force in the tool age to the advanced engine in the machine age has surely made our lives more comfortable and colorful. New ways of communication have come into being as a result of the development of the electronic technology, such as telephone, emails and telegraphy. All above have transformed the way we associate with each other in our daily lives. Also, in social ethics, some changes brought about by the improvement of social well-being further by the profits of efficient and effective technologies. It is hard to imagine that the family in the tool age, which actually involves more than three generations, turns out to be what is so-called in today’s society core family, single family, or dink family. In short, we cannot overlook the great change in social customs and ethics brought about by the development of today’s technology. However, it is rash to say that technology play a decisive role in the social customs and ethics for the reason that there are some unchanging characteristics even influenced by technologies all the time.

  On the one hand, in the social customs, although considerable changes have taken place as a result of advanced technologies, people today are all keeping the old festivals in the mind. People make every effort to make it meaningful to spend their traditional festivals, such as Christmas—celebrate the birth of Santa Claus, Thank-giving’s day—family together with special food turkey, and Valentine’s day—a day with rose and chocolate for love. On this case, technology serves as the candles or flowers to decorate the colorful day of our unforgettable festivals.

  On the other hand, in the social ethics, it is harder for the technology to make any change on the basic ethics, such as faithfulness, honesty, and fidelity. In contrast, the more advanced and progressive technologies are, the more faithful and honest people will turn out to be. For one compelling example of western countries, in the legal proceeding of the court, the witness and the defender should put their hands on the Bible to pledge no perjury. The social ethics, as I see it , is the lasting roles for people to keep in mind and adjust their behaviors.

  To sum up, I agree with the speaker that the way of people’s lives have been influenced and changed by the rapid progress of technologies; however, the festivals in social customs and the basic human virtues are unchanging with the development of technologies and, in my view, will last to the future.