[Jack Black]

I really don't agree with or see the basis of his arguments. Our experience so far has not been that technology has progressively enslaved men. Indeed liberty and choice are much more in evidence now then they were in most other eras of humna history.

I know a lot of Christians think C.S. Lewis is some awesome philosopher, but as this example shows, I think not.

[Diamond]

Our experience so far has not been that technology has progressively enslaved men

His argument is not so much that technology enslaves men as it is that in the attempt at conquest over "nature" some men obtain power over other men with technology as their instrument, and how the use of that power by earlier generations must necessarily effect later ones. The greater the power the greater the effect of that power on later generations. So the question becomes, when we eventually get a race of conditioners, unrestrained by values, who really can make all posterity whatever they want, through eugenics or whatever else, what will be the effect on that posterity?

Cordially,

[Mr. Jeeves]

Our experience so far has not been that technology has progressively enslaved men.

It has: the iPod is taking over the Earth. It controls humans with tentacular probes it inserts into their ears that they cannot remove, even when exercising or walking down the street. ;)

[grey_whiskers]

Have you travelled through parts of Red China lately?

The point is that the tempation exists to misuse the technology--and if the technology is sufficiently advanced, then there may be no recourse to escape from the tyranny.

Cheers!