Technology as a form of consciousness: A study of contemporary ethos

Abstract

Technology as a cultural force lends itself to rhetorical investigation through the concept of ethos. Ethos, in discourse, is the expression of character, or consciousness, which in turn has been shaped by action. Examining the actions fundamental to technology reveals features of technological consciousness. Primitive, or low‐context, technology leads to ends‐means confusion, objectivism, and cause‐and‐effect reasoning. Advanced, or high‐context, technology has impressed on our character an ideology of efficiency, organizational procedure, closed‐system thinking, and optimism. These features of modern consciousness formulate an ethos of strict logic, expertise, and objectivity.