“Once upon a time we were just plain people. But that was before we began linking ourselves with mechanical systems. Get involved with a machine and sooner or later you are reduced to a mechanical factor.”

It is aptly said by Jean Arp, “Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation...”

Gone are the days when people used to live peacefully in mud-built houses. They used to perform their religious rituals and worshiped with peace of mind, in mosques, churches and temples. They cherished their religious beliefs and moral values without any dilemma. Moral standards such as honesty, sincerity, devotion, etc. were the core of their life. Their prayers could mollify their conscience and satisfied their thirst.

Our forefathers didn’t dream of embracing others’ culture. They prided themselves on practicing their own cultural values. Neither internal nor external factors could alienate them from their cultural backgrounds. Their cultures, which were mostly sanctified through religious practices, were as significant as their religious creed. So, they safeguarded their cultures and traditions against any erosions and cultural bombardments. Of course, their children grew in their own cultural backgrounds and were not spoiled by means of any media. In short, their cultures were the mainstream of those societies.

Of course they used to travel by animals such as camels and donkeys and it was a challenge for them. However, they did not have to travel a lot. Furthermore, the priority they had was that those people were safe from collisions and street accidents. Annually, thousands of people were not losing their lives in traffic accidents.

Invasion of privacy did not exist in their lives and they did not worry about the record of their voices. In other words, freedom of expression, which is the basic rights of all citizens, was the norm among them.

People used to breathe fresh air. The purity of nature was palpably pleasant. No one was worried about pollution, global warming, the greenhouse effect, acid rain, high decibel noise etc. Therefore, they were healthier than the people of our age.

The technological world changed the entire life of people. No society was left unaffected by the current of technology and industry. I do not deny the positive changes, however the negative changes were really dramatic and vast. Marx says that the bourgeoisie changed the entire world. So the same is the case with technology which has changed society suitable. Now, getting rid of it is impossible.

Cultural changes were the very first phenomena that took place around the globe. The Media is a simple example for that. With the emergence of technology, cultural bombardments began to focus on entire communities. A great rivalry for cultural show broke out and the new generation had the tendency to embrace different cultural values.

Children were spoiled by watching immoral programs. The nobility of their past moral standards and sanctity of their religious values, eroded with each passing days. The interminable prayers of their forefathers were replaced by amusing serials and entertainments. Gradually, cinemas were attended more than temples and it was the alarming cue for moral decline. Moreover, many people waste their time on playing games. Currently, the game zones are attended by children and youngsters all around the world.

Albert Einstein says, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” Of course, technology has affected the mentality of the people and changed their world into a less moral one. Bloodshed through technological means is as easy as pie. Our weapons of mass destruction were beyond the imagination of the people of ancient times. In short, killing hundreds of thousands of people through a small switch was never dreamt about. Don’t you think that today’s violence and bloodshed put our humanity under question?

“Instrumental reason” is one of the prominent characteristics of the modern man. Today, people make efforts to take advantages of the entire matters and elements. They focus on worldly matters rather than religious instructions. In other words, people show deep orientation towards worldly comforts and financial issues at the cost of their religious beliefs. Many relations and friendships are based on the purposes and selfish advantages. People trample upon the rights of their fellow men and even murder for their own benefits. Hence, such a voracious appetite for the mundane, cherished by today’s man easily demonstrates our moral decline.

In addition, our privacy is invaded by different factors. One cannot talk confidently on the phone. Sometimes one’s voice is recorded to reveal secrets and even simple, private calls are checked by officials or enemies and spies.

In the study of knowledge, there are two contradictory schools of thoughts. One of them is based on epistemological rupture which argues that when people enter a new age, it is the same as entering a new continent which has its own axioms or cultural ideals. The other is based on epistemological continuity which contradicts that first one denying a complete disconnection and rupture. I also favor the second one. Of course, what I stated does not mean that there is a rupture and a complete disconnection between the past people and the man of our age. Still we hold things in common. There is a connection.

I would like to conclude with the statement of Warren G. Bennis: “The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipments.”