Monday, January 22, 2018

Techne and Technocracy

'Technocracy' commonly signifies a Polity organized on the basis of some 'scientific' model.  Often that model is Physicist, e. g. Newtonian, on the basis of which 'technocracy' connotes to many a dehumanizing system manipulated by cold-hearted 'technocrats'.  However, a scientific model could also be Biological, i. e. an Organism, of which a 'technocrat' is the brain, and, therefore, is dependent on the vitality of the other parts of society.  So, Technocracy is not as inherently inhuman as some critics of 'technocracy' charge.  Furthermore, 'technocracy', literally, connotes 'knowing how to rule', which entails not only ruling on the basis of some model, but skill in the implementation of it.  But such a skill involves empowering the members of the polity.  On that basis, a cold manipulator of people is not a Technocrat in the proper sense of the term.  Thus, as is the case with the common usage of 'technology', that of 'technocracy' reflects an inadequate understanding of Techne.

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