During the Renaissance, scholars began to take technology more seriously. They saw human creativity as a force that could overtake natural products. They also noted that technology could change the course of human history for the better.
Although the Renaissance was a golden age of technological innovation, it didn’t last forever. As technology developed, critics began to point out the negative aspects of new technologies. Some new technologies have caused harm, such as pollution and destruction of the environment. Others have helped humans improve their lives. Several countries have recently started regulating computer technologies, although many more are only beginning to do so.
There are two main traditions of technological thinking. One tradition is the instrumentalist, which is defined as using technology to attain a specific goal. The other is the alchemical tradition, which argued that human art could outperform natural products.
The instrumentalists argue that technology is a narrow technical rationality. While it may be useful to use a particular means to reach a particular end, it does not entail a correspondingly meaningful definition.
On the other hand, the alchemical writers claimed that technology was a much bigger thing than just using a specific tool. They argued that using science and technology was a way to apply arts and sciences to a particular situation. They argued that people applying science through technology needed to think through a series of constraints in order to reach their desired outcome.
The alchemical tradition also argued that technology is not just a good thing, but also a necessary thing. It is an activity that changes culture.