Technology, Government, and the Law
BEHS 103: Technology in Contemporary Society
Week Five
Credit: Katherine Im (2021, July)
1
Definitions
Government: the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions and which is usually classified according to the distribution of power within it
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
2
Politics: the art or science of government
Law: a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority
Are government and law forms of technology?
3
Yes!
Both are social structures created to serve humankind
Both evolve as needs change
4
Why government?
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Pre-Civilization
Nomadic existence
Traveled in small groups
Everyone contributed to the welfare of the group
No need for a structured government or laws
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Early Civilization
Agriculture and domestication of animals – allows for permanent settlements
Required many hands doing the same tasks
Natural leaders emerge in small groups and tribes
Source: World Academy of Art & Science – http://www.worldacademy.org/forum/landmarks-emergence-individuality-western-civilization
7
Technology leads to the need for government and laws
Technological advances in agriculture (e.g., plow) lead to better crop yield
Better crop yield led to population increases
More workers available to do non-farming work
http://www.ancient.eu.com/image/112/
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpeople.howstuffworks.com%2Fpopulation-six-billion.htm&h=0&w=0&sz=1&tbnid=KLQCap6blHwhOM&tbnh=204&tbnw=248&zoom=1&docid=d_RTuYppuZgWvM&hl=en&ei=19TuUfLcKa-84APsw4GYDA&ved=0CAIQsCU
8
Emergence of a
crafts-based industry
Craftsmen controlled their own yield (production)
Craftsmen had portable skills
Highly skilled craftsmen had higher status and were in greater demand – beginning of market economy
Motivated to innovate to stay ahead of the competition
Rules were needed to establish fair practices
Leaders were need to enforce rules
http://gnc3.wordpress.com/category/middle-ages/
9
Beginnings of Government and Law
Need for government to manage increasingly specialized society
Hammurabi code (1772 BCE) – King of Babylonia – 1st set of laws organizing society, establishing punishments for crimes (“eye for an eye”)
Required that all members of society agree to adhere to the law
Source: http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_wc_1/43/11050/2829013.cw/index.html
Image Source: http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/hammurabi-headpiece
10
Ancient Greece (8th – 5th C. BCE)
Birth of democracy
One man, one vote
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/26466/history_of_democracy.html
11
What is the role of law?
Aristotle (384 BCE – 322 BCE)
The “rule of law” is the principle that no one is exempt from the law
“the rule of law . . . is preferable to that of any individual”
Image source http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/84/87984-004-5ADE9ACA.jpg
http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-26-1-plato-and-aristotle-on-tyranny-and-the-rule-of-law.html
12
Ancient Rome (509-27 BC)
