IDEOLOGY OR TECHNOLOGY?

The choice is not as baffling as Hamlets preicament! "to be or not to be#$ If ieolog%
means a set of ieas that form the basis of an economic or political theor%& or that are
hel b% a partic'lar gro'p or comm'nit%& technolog% stans for scientific st'% an 'se
of mechanical arts an applie sciences# O(er a perio of time& both ieolog% an
technolog% ha(e ac)'ire a strong gra(itational force that has renere them more as
combatants than as comraes*in*arm# To the 'ns'specting or 'ncritical& progressi(e
ieolog% ma% appear serio'sl% ealing +ith iss'es li,e po(ert%& social ine)'alit%&
epri(ation& e-ploitation& et al an technolog% too ma% seem tr%ing to grapple +ith
h'man problems that hiner faster economic e(elopment& better means of
comm'nication an transport& impro(ing )'alit% of life an li(ing conitions& 'pating
the frontiers of ,no+lege& et al# If their aims are meant for h'man +elfare& +h% is
technolog% being preferre o(er ieolog% in the present +orl? The )'estion is e)'all%
rigoro's an rele(ant an calls for cool consieration an iscreet isc'ssion#
In concept an comple-ion& ieolog% tens to become infle-ible if ne+ inp'ts are not
allo+e to re(italise an re.'(enate its contents an conto'rs# Technolog%& tho'gh
fle-ible an for+ar*loo,ing& is also s'b.ect to becoming a terrible tool of eath an
estr'ction in the hans of e(il# /ince technolog% has manage to occ'p% the centre
stage of the +orl& an rightl% so& an% conflict or competition bet+een ieolog% an
technolog% is not onl% 'ntimel% b't also 'ntenable# There is no en%ing the fact that
technolog% has ac)'ire the po+er an potential to t'rn an t+ist o'r senses an
sensibilities# It is the practical application of technolog% that etermines its pi(otal
place in o'r concerns an calc'lations# 0ltho'gh h'man,in esperatel% nees the
three paramo'nt pillars of Ganhian tho'ght an practice1Tr'th& Ahimsa an
Gooness1 %et it is the fast tempo of life& co'ple +ith +orll% s'ccess an a cani
control o(er time an space& that stans o't as something tangible an telling as
compare to abstractions#
The )'estion that nees to stir o'r conscience sho'l be! Can +e affor to abanon
o'r concern for socio*political ca'ses an commitments to h'man (al'es that len
meaning& moti(e an mission to o'r perceptions an practices? Has ieolog% become
irrele(ant an irrational in the el'ge that science an technolog% has 'nleashe? No
o'bt& technolog% is on the march to attain more an more milestones# 2't technolog%
e(oi of political philosoph%& economic egalitarianism an social .'stice for all is
fra'ght +ith angero's imensions# 0 +orl +here onl% technolog% matters is li,el% to
become as perilo's as a single trac, min obsesse +ith fantasies borering on
phantoms#
There is near 'nanimit% on the (ie+ hel the +orl o(er that technolog% 'nites people&
irrespecti(e of their colo'r or cree& +hereas ieolog% i(ies them an p'ts them in
+ater*tight compartments# The memories of 3Concentration Camps& 3Gas Chambers
an other forms of genocie associate +ith ieologies li,e 4ascism& Na5ism& 6ar-ism
an the li,e are too chilling an bloo c'rling to be easil% erase from mental
screens# E)'all% 'nner(ing an 'nsettling are the e(ents an their conse)'ences that
+ere the irect o'tcome or fallo't of the holoca'st let loose b% n'clear technolog%
minlessl% emplo%e 'ring the closing %ears of 7orl 7ar II 89:;<=# The i(ision of
the +orl in t+o po+er blocs& an the tra'mas of Col 7ar 1all in the name of
ieolog%1is too fresh an irritant that none in his>her senses +o'l e(er +ish their
repetition#
Technolog% is inispensable in +hate(er age +e ma% be li(ing# E)'all% important is the
place of socio*economic>political s%stem that ass'res the benefits of progress reaching
the last person 'ner the s'n# Generall%& +hen +e tal, of ieolog%& +e seem to isc'ss
some philosoph% that is retrograe& b't +hen +e e'logise technolog%& +e appear to
s+im +ith the c'rrent# If technolog% promises the best no+& ieolog% hols the
promise of the best to be in f't're# In fact& technolog% has been calle a great social
le(eller# 7hat ieolog% fails to achie(e an f'lfil& technolog% oes +itho't m'ch prie
an pre.'ice#
7ith the sprea of liberal e'cation& an cross migration of people from one region to
the other& it has become literall% impossible for the ie*hars to resist the (ibrant
infl'ences that technolog% has imprinte on h'man ps%che# 4or the paraigms of
ieolog%& that p'rport to promote social ser(ices li,e e'cation& health care& potable
+ater& ho'ses& emplo%ment& etc for all& it better .oin hans +ith the e(er e-paning
hori5ons of technolog% an th's pla% the role of an interloc'tor# Instea of being at
loggerheas& both h'mane ieolog% an to+ering technolog% can +or, han in glo(e
+ith each other#