Does Technological Change Shape Historical Change?
Musings on Technological Determinism, Ontological Design, and the Making of History
In the opening passage of Do Machines Make History (1967), Robert Heilbroner argues that technology has a direct bearing on the human drama of history—but it does not make all of history. The challenge he identifies is whether something systematic can be said about the matter. In this piece, I briefly evaluate the degree to which technological change shapes historical change. I leave discussion on reasons why technologies change for other debates—instead focusing on the effects of technology, irrespective of their determinants. I suggest that while historical change depends on more than just technology, technology plays an unignorable role. Technology expands the range of actions for history-makers, exerts political influence (whether reflecting or independent of the intent of its makers), and can invite a cascade of further technological change.
FRAMING OF TERMS
Before covering the arguments for and against technological change shaping historical change, I start by laying out a working definition of terms. Technological change encompasses any changes to assemblages of technology within a society. This means looking at not just innovation and invention, but also…
