The social character of technological problems

pp. 314-320

in: I. C. Jarvie, Thinking about society, Berlin, Springer, 1986

Abstract

There is a great deal in Professor Skolimowski's very interesting paper with which I fully agree, especially, perhaps, his thesis that technology is not to be identified with science and that it has a different philosophy and methodology. If there is a single problem that is central to Skolimowski's paper it is perhaps his statement that science has a single aim, the pursuit of knowledge or truth; can a similar, simple aim be ascribed to technology? Skolimowski's answer is "yes' and that that aim is efficiency, the construction of ever more efficient solutions to technological problems. So while scientific progress is toward truth, technological progress is an increase in efficiency.