Issue88 第二篇Issue 历时2个多小时

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Issue88 "Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics."
2009-7-28 11:00-13:18,460字
关键词：技术
决定
社会道德
技术：hi-tech, internet, computer, mass media, communication
技术改变了什么：人们的生活习惯,（没有TV，computer game时，人们聊天来kill time）。但是是否改变了人们的习俗和道德规范？
什么是Social ethics：人们对于accident有着common sense，是values，如比我们鼓励创新，blame cheating
形成social ethics的决定因素：是长期的社会活动、生活中形成的，不会因为一个新技术新产品的产生而出现改变。
提纲：
近代的新技术的不断发明改变了我们的生活习惯和行为习惯。但社会习俗和道德是长期社会生活中形成的，不会因为一个新技术的产生而出现改变。如高科技犯罪，仍是犯罪，不能因为他使用了高科技就不去谴责他。

在一定程度上，现代技术影响了…。如虚拟世界崇尚暴力，使得现实中的孩子的价值观受到了影响。但这是应当解决的社会问题，也不能据此说技术就决定了……。

社会道德需要一个长期的社会活动形成，他受到多个因素的影响，而不仅是技术。基本的社会道德是长期不变的。在史前时代，部落中的人为了更好的（reproduce）,他们会将食物分给没有猎食能力的妇女和儿童，这种当时的（of that time）社会道德没有因为技术的进步而消失。在现代社会（In modern society，妇女儿童仍被看作弱势群体（disadvantaged groups）而受到照顾，如地震后，妇女儿童会优先得到分配的粮食与救济品alm。一些不合时宜（out of time）的社会道德则随着人们思想的转变而改变。如妇女地位，在近代得到了极大改善。这种改变我认为是由于人们思想的转变而不是技术的发展。Women's movement was to : natural and legal right and the Creator is fair, whether male or female.

同时社会习俗受高科技术的保护而传承。如Mosuo，一个形成于2000年前并延续（last）至今的母系部落（maternal society）。由于大众媒体的传播，而使他们的生活受到外界的关注。但他们并没有改变自己的社会习俗，仅是通过这种关注来提高了生活水平。

我们可以确信，技术可能会影响社会习俗的形成，但它不能决定社会习俗的走向。

I disagree with the claim that “Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics.” In this passage, I define the technology as all the new and hi-tech since the prehistoric times, and define the social customs and ethics as the values of the people rather than the habit and behaviors. I concede that technologies can effect and change human behaviors. However, most people would agree that people values established after a long time and it would not change merely because of a new technology’s inventing. It can be a true case that a person commit a crime by using hi-tech, while we can not to say it is a good thing and the person is still a criminal.

To some extent, the development of technologies indeed effect social ethics. For instance, the computer games based on the internet attract children so much that the violence expressed in the games influence children’s world values in reality. More and more children believe it is violence not laws to determine a person’s value. But we should not fail to see that it is a severe social problem. Instead of admitting the computer game determine the children’s values, we should find a way to release the affection.

On the other hand, shaping social ethics need a long time, which are determined by many elements besides technologies. And during a long period, social ethics would not change a lot. One social ethic, taking care the disadvantaged groups, formed because of the need of human reproduction in the prehistoric times. Of that time, the strong men distributed the food to women and children those who can not obtain the food by themselves. Till the modern society, women and children are also taken care. This social ethic does not disappear, although there is enough food to eat because of the development of the technologies.

A social ethic changes most likely because of the change of people’s thinking. For example, women’s status has been improved since recently. “Women’s movement was to: natural and legal right and the Creator is fair, whether male or female.” The saying is used to point out that the raising of women’s status is because of the change of women’s mind rather than the improving of the technologies.

Moreover, the social ethic can better last by technologies’ protecting. Maybe some people heard Mosuo, a tribe with maternal society in rural of China. Before it is well known by outside people, they lived in poverty, and their unique social customs were in danger of disappearing. Thanks to the mass media and communication technology, Mosuo cause outside people’s attention and gain the subsidizing to sustain their social customs.

To be sure, technologies tend to influence instead of to determine social customs and ethics.