A Study On G.A. Cohen's Critical Thoughts Of Technology

The present paper aims at exploring the "kernel" of Cohen's idea, namely grasping Cohen's technological criticism ideology generally. On the basis of Cohen's criticism ideology, it analyzes his representative works at different stages deeply and reveals his technological views and critical ideology systematically, following his academic tracks and changes. In the ways of evaluating, analyzing and summarizing critically, a systematic and tentative paper consequently comes into being. In accordance with the above topics, the thesis presents in seven chapters.Chapter one is the introduction, presenting and demonstrating the research topic and key thread of the paper based on the comprehensive analysis of the studies on Cohen at home and abroad. It outlines the inherent logic and dimension of Cohen's technological criticism ideology and makes an overall introduction into the paper's structure and logic.The second chapter tends to investigate the basis of Cohen's technological criticism ideology and integrally unfold the Cohen's view on the semantic analysis of technology and technological criticism. It starts the discussion from the angles of technological nature, social ownership forms, realizing ways in industrial production and "instrumental regulations". Its main viewpoint is that Cohen's technological criticism covers the exploration into the technological nature from the very start. Cohen reveals technological nature through semantic analysis. As a productive "capacity", technology is a function to meet people's needs, a possibility to eliminate the pitiable plight, a technique to "produce", a "means" to realize people's "intention". The realization of its basic functions hangs on the social ownership forms and three material production modes. Cohen discloses the renunciative state between technology and "people", which becomes the essential kernel for the "instrumental regulations" of technology.Chapter three is the general analysis of the rational criteria for Cohen's technological criticism separately from the technological "primacy", nature of "primacy", technological "developing proposition", dual decisions and defense for "technological determinism". The main idea is that the primacy of technology supports the rationality of technological criticism and finally sustains the scientific criticism on technological dissimilation. Therefore, it proves that "primacy proposition" is the rational guideline for technological criticism. "Developing proposition" is the fundamental impetus to technological criticism and guarantees the historical interconnectivity of the rational rule. Humane presupposition is the precondition of the "developing proposition" and the metaphysical precondition of the technological nature and technological criticism. "Dual determined structure" of technology is the logical form for technological primacy. Technology is the prime factor for the impetus of historical development. Although it lays emphasis on technology, it doesn't regard the superhuman things as the historical center. The development in productive forces is consistent with that in human powers and the gloss over the saying of technology debasing humanism will be disclosed. That is the significance of Cohen's so-called "technological determinism".Chapter four principally probes into the normative foundation for technological criticism. The "critical theories" at the corresponding period with Cohen replace the material technological criticism with the cultural criticism, ideological criticism and daily-life criticism. It seems as if they have carried forward the critical spirit, but actually they have lost the scientific rationality of criticism. They can never escape from the pit of bourgeois ideology. Cohen insists on the material technological criticism and proposes that the abstract mode of "subjective thinking" should be changed into the "technological" one. Cohen maintains that technology is divorced from its society by nature and it's the material content of the social forms. He also presents that the primacy of technology is determined by the functional explanation which provides the scientific explaining ways for technological criticism. Chapter five focuses on the analysis of the nature of Cohen's technological criticism by investigating the social reality of technological dissimilation, showing Cohen's thoughts over social system, class oppression, social inequality, people's freedom, dissimilation of the social life, and so on. With the primacy of technology as the rational guideline, social materialism as the content, functional explanation as the illustrating means, Cohen criticizes directly the technological dissimilation caused by the society. Cohen believes the bondage of the technology to the people roots in the capitalistic application of technology and technological dissimilation is the unavoidable price of the historical progress. Therefore, in order to eliminate that bondage, we need to abolish the capitalist ownership, and restore the original nature of technology ensuring that the technology will not be the bondage to people any more and be the means of people liberating ourselves. That is the revolutionary function and the nature of technological criticism.Chapter six introduces the value dimension of Cohen's technological criticism. In Cohen's view, the proletariat is the main body of technological criticism and the historical body to overthrow the social shackle and to restore the technological nature. Whereas, the change in the social class structure of the temporary capitalism stimulates the great transformation of proletariat's "four features" and suspends the historical task of technological criticism. The wish to provide the material premise for the realization of equal ideal and "wealthy society" relying on the everlasting progress of technology is dashed to the ground for meeting the ecological crisis and resource shortage. The strategy for technological criticism then has been made important adjustment:Technology together with tough theoretical jobs can resolve the theoretical problems concerning the social inequality. Cohen makes a clear exploration into the unfair social system. Cohen questions the legitimacy of "self-ownership" in the name of equality, criticizes "difference principle" as a cool compromise with the selfishness molded by capitalism, and uncovers the hypocritical veil of the present liberalism.Chapter seven presents the final intention of Cohen's technological criticism. Cohen, from the angles of equality and freedom, reveals that technology, as a tool of liberating human beings, aims fundamentally at achieving a just society of equality and freedom. Cohen suggests a deep-rooted principle of equality of opportunity, and brings forward the concept of "equal access to advantage", whose aim is to create a Socialist Community where everyone is equal. Cohen objects to eliminating the equal requirement for changing the reality appealing to people's selfishness. He assumes that the biggest barrier in the socialist revolution is not the resistance provoked in the privileged class, but the people's idea that "revolution will never be realized". He then lays great emphasis on the reconstruction of social ethical custom, and advocates a change in the motive structure. Cohen holds, in a society leading by capitalism, common people lacks the ability to pursue and gain happiness desperately (the shortage of money). So the government should shoulder more responsibilities and actively provoke people's "equal access to advantage" over pursuing happiness. Moreover, the government should closely combine freedom with equality and vigorously extend the citizens' rights of political, economical and social significance.Cohen's idea in reference to the technological criticism enlightens us on the technological problems and exposes its own defects meanwhile. The technology in his mind is an abstract and conceptual one. The technology of reductionism implies the mechanistic features are far from the idealistic requirement for technological holism. It still remains to be a question whether Cohen's analysis on the nature of technology dissolves the criticism on technology or not. Idealistic equality has been covered with the moralistic color for giving up the exploration into the material base, realistic roads and main force. The sticking point of the above problems is the lack of dialectic.