Indian Thought between Tradition and the Culture of Technology

Express Shipping
$12.60
$18
(30% off)
Express Shipping: Guaranteed Dispatch in 24 hours
Quantity
Delivery Ships in 1-3 days
Item Code: NAV755
Publisher: D. K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
Author: D.L. Johnson
Language: English
Edition: 1995
ISBN: 81824600465
Pages: 140
Cover: HARDCOVER
Other Details 9.00 X 6.00 inch
Weight 310 gm
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
23 years in business
23 years in business
Book Description
About The Book

The book is a brilliant socio-cultural study of the contemporary Indian society in the context of the invasion of the "culture of technology". The recent spate of technological advancements involves much more than the mere use of lifeless mechines. It is an inculcation of a constellation ofvalues and ideas — a new culture. In a tradition-bound society like India the "culture of technology" is looked at with panic and suspicion. The phenomenon of dehumanisation and the erosion of human values associated with this culture seems to confuse the Indian mind. Yet, India has not been able to withhold the march of this culture. Dr. Johnson makes a penetrating analysis of the Indian predicament with reference to the reactions of Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo and Jayaprakash Narayan; and offers a futuristic assessment of the problem. He argues that the solution lies not in dismissing the "culture of technology" but in incorporating it within the fabric of tradition, so that India can keep pace with the time. He tackles the problem by delving deep into the intracies of the matter of tradition and technology; and spells out the changes required in our traditional way of looking at things. The book is very contemporary in its approach and reflects a rare kind of optimism about India's potentialities in facing the problem.

Preface

Tms book asserts that technology has become not only a measure of what it means to be civilized, it has created a culture of its own against which every traditional culture is forced to measure itself. In short, it is not art, literature or philosophy that measure human achievement today. Neither is it political or social structures that are the measure of human achievement. The new measure is technology.

How this new measure might have come to dominate modern societies is an historical question. Michael Adas' book titled Machines as the Measure of Men (1989) traces the adoption of technology as a measure through a study of imperialist ventures into Africa, India and China. Adas argues that the measure was promoted both by commerce and religion.

What such a measure might mean to a society still concerned about tradition is the subject of this book. India's encounter with a new constellation of compelling ideas and values that comprise modern technology occurred during the time India was dominated by Europeans, especially Great Britain. But a study of India is complicated by the fact that intellectuals of India confronted the developing culture of technology at the same time as they confronted imperialism. Thus two 10 Culture of Technology demands for a new way of life went together (the one imposed foreign rule, the other imposed a new measure of cultural achievement). The new political order, indeed, was buttressed by superior weaponry, industry, and techniques. But Westerners brought with them also the cultural ideals which provided the foundation for their technical superiority, ideals that soon became spelled out as ideals of objectivity, measurement, efficiency, and standardization. In short, from today's perspective, the significant culture that the British brought to India (however ignorant of it many of purveyors might have been) was the culture of technology.

It was, ofcourse, the technology ofweaponry, industry, and commerce that allowed Westerners to conquer and govern South Asia. But the ideas that shaped, and, indeed, drove modern technology did pose a threat to India's prized traditions (as, indeed, those ideas might be seen to pose a threat to every tradition). It remains to be seen whether it is, in fact, technology that stands as the major threat to Indians of both Hindu and Muslim persuasion. Such a statement is to suggest that it is not religious ideology or values so much as it is the intrusion of technology upon those values which divides Indians. The culture of technology irritates both sides equally. The irritant might be difficult to identify, however, since as Chapter 1 of this book argues, the culture of technology does not directly counter traditional ideas. Instead technology renders traditional ideas and values irrelevant; or it suggests that they ought to be put to different uses than they have been put to in the past.

**Contents and Sample Pages**








Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q. What locations do you deliver to ?
    A. Exotic India delivers orders to all countries having diplomatic relations with India.
  • Q. Do you offer free shipping ?
    A. Exotic India offers free shipping on all orders of value of $30 USD or more.
  • Q. Can I return the book?
    A. All returns must be postmarked within seven (7) days of the delivery date. All returned items must be in new and unused condition, with all original tags and labels attached. To know more please view our return policy
  • Q. Do you offer express shipping ?
    A. Yes, we do have a chargeable express shipping facility available. You can select express shipping while checking out on the website.
  • Q. I accidentally entered wrong delivery address, can I change the address ?
    A. Delivery addresses can only be changed only incase the order has not been shipped yet. Incase of an address change, you can reach us at help@exoticindia.com
  • Q. How do I track my order ?
    A. You can track your orders simply entering your order number through here or through your past orders if you are signed in on the website.
  • Q. How can I cancel an order ?
    A. An order can only be cancelled if it has not been shipped. To cancel an order, kindly reach out to us through help@exoticindia.com.
Add a review
Have A Question

For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy

Book Categories