Concepts of Progress in the Book "In Defense Luddism" by Noble and Weir

The way Noble Argues Based on the Book “In Defense of Luddism.”
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The way Noble Argues Based on the Book “In Defense of Luddism.”
Introduction
Technology is considered as an aspect that has brought a revolution into this modern world, thus making work easier in every industry. Through technology, manufacturing has been enhanced with the sole objective of increasing the mass production of commodities. Given this, mass production results in the constant supply of human necessities through the use of efficient means enhance through the inclusion of technology. In the book “In Defense of Luddism”, the author shades light to his audience on the concepts of progress and the manner in which technological advancements are currently considered as progress in as much as some schools of thought allude to it as an undermining of human labor, resulting in suffering. The significance of technology in this modern age remains an obvious aspect considering that the benefits of the revolution brought about by technology tend to outweigh the demerits.
However, Noble posits that the Luddites being technophobic and naïve, embraced approaches that saved them from the consequences that were prone to occur upon implementing the use of technology and machines. As provided, instances of oppression, unemployment, and the lack of equity among the workers were some of the negative aspects that the Luddites negated (Edgerton, 2011). The central purpose of this paper remains in supporting the arguments presented by Noble in his book, “In Defense of Luddism”. The paper will disclose the manner in which different schools of thought argue for and against technological advancements as an essential and inherent aspect initiated for the benefit of humanity, a view that Noble supports.
Noble's Central Argument
In his book, Noble gives a description of Luddism as one of the hugest resistances of workers who held on to the fear that the advent of new technologies would affect employment. This movement took course in 1811 and continued for a period of six years, thus ending in 1817. The workers who made protests against the element of industrial revolution were inferred to as the Luddites. The Luddites as posited by Nobel had a negative perception about technology. This therefore saw this population negating technological changes and acted in self-defense by taking initiatives in destroying machines since a majority of these workers resisted the inclusion of technology in the service industry. With the advent of new technologies, a new culture that is perceived as offensive is launched, hence rekindling confidence in progress. It is however essential to interject and this point and establish that the Luddites were not against the new technological innovations as per say, but rather were against the social changes that would come with the inclusion of technology (Noble & Weir, 2012). Nobel therefore establishes that the Luddites rejections of such changes were rational since technology would control labor and alienate people by depriving them of their rights. In this regard, technological changes are therefore perceived as autonomous considering that its advancement h...