THE OPEN COLUMN: Technology, Society, Culture

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A technology becomes truly exciting only when it gets to be a social phenomenon. The thrill of excitement comes from its disruptive potential, its ability to shift paradigms, to alter business models and the ways in which society is organised. The uncertainty over the end result of it all fuels speculation and provokes inspiring discussions and creative thinking. This alone would serve as sufficient reason for us to host this column on technology and society, but let’s add two more. Firstly, the very way how technologies shape social phenomena is particularly interesting. Secondly, it matters which direction the technology pushes the evolving society towards, and we wish it to be in the direction of open society.

We have learned from the writings of Marshal McLuhan that the medium itself, not only the content it carries, affects the addressee of the message. The medium not only conditions the meaning of the message but has a deep long term influence on how people perceive the surrounding world in general, and how they adapt to it. The more widespread the medium the larger and faster its impact. So it is not true that only the way a technology is used matters, how the technology is matters equally. Information and communication technologies shape the media of tomorrow and their effects on human cognitive habits and cultural patterns are undoubtedly profound. However, the extent to which they translate into evolution of the civilisation is yet to be traced. These impacts can either be destructive or constructive for the establishment of an open society, in which individuals can flourish to the benefit of all.

The notion of open society was introduced by Karl Popper in his opus magnum The Open Society and its Enemies, which discusses the permanent struggle of mankind and civilisation against its inner evil forces that try to suppress an individual, commonly for the sake of ideology or interests of a chosen few. The transition from a closed tribal society to an open society is a quest of freedom and democracy — thirsty individuals against tribal reactionaries that act against it. Though Popper uses words that appear to pertain to times that are gone forever, the totalitarian regimes of the 20th Century, he describes mechanisms that are still valid nowadays, yet the methods of the enemies are far more sophisticated and difficult to pin down. Whether it is via control of information, imposing standards, promoting habits, creation and manipulation of simulacra, etc. the freedom and full development potential of individuals are constantly at risk.

Popper is nevertheless an optimist — he sets up a positive project, being convinced that the enemies of open society will fall. Self-actualisation of individuals seems a proper panacea of our times. Let it be then the spirit of this column, which we will eagerly share with invited authors to discuss the topics prompted by the Popperian agenda. This theme has already proven to be stimulating for it has served as a driving inspiration of the Mobile Open Society through wireless Technology (MOST) Foundation (www.most-program.org), an NGO established nearly a decade ago which created a forum for discussing the implications of communication technologies, mobile in particular, on democracy, economic growth and societal development. Our involvement in MOST has convinced us that interdisciplinary thinking on the meeting points of technology, society and culture can be as valuable as it can be entertaining. We hope to bring you a bit of both in the coming issues.

If you would like to suggest a topic or feature in this column please contact us at secretariat@most-program.org

About the Authors

Mieczysław Muraszkiewicz

Editor in Chief, ICaST and Head of the Information Systems Division at the University of Warsaw

Professor, Head of Information Systems Division, University of Warsaw, author of over 110 publications and 80 technical reports.

Jan Kaczmarek