Our Relationship to Ourselves as Nature via Technology
...story, has contributed to many of the issues which we face today. Human beings are a part of the world, and technology is a part of being human. Technology helps us relate to ourselves in many ways, theological ideas or not. Technological advancements used today both help us relate to nature and keep us further away from nature. The automobile, for instance, can help us travel farther distances to see nature in its now rare form, things we would most likely never see without the assistance of an object which allows us to travel great distances is small amounts of time. At the same time, however, it is taking us away from nature, becoming and extension of our bodies and keeping us from actually experiencing the travel. It is in the opinion of this author that the automobile, while allowing much interaction with nature much quicker, again puts us on a pedestal outside of nature. In an automobile the bigger picture is viewable. This can be misconstrued as becoming closer to nature, but I believe it is the exact opposite. This concept of “viewing the entire picture”, once again rises us above and out of nature, and although this knowledge can help us better understand nature, it does not necessarily help us interact with it. The view of earth from outer space is another example of this. It brings us above nature, and out of it. It would seem that things like this, pictures from outer space, automobiles, medical advancements and the like are technologies we use to bring us to the demigod stage. We want to keep ourselves from our natural selves, defying nature at every turn. Things like pacemakers, prosthetic limbs, various surgeries and synthetic drugs; these are all advancements in technology used to counteract nature. If nature could dictate, we’d live, reproduce, and die. This is not the case, however, because human beings are capable of logical and cognitive thought. It is because we are thinking animals that our relationship to ourselves as nature is a difficult one to grasp. How do we relate ourselves to nature? The simple answer: we don’t. Humans don’t see themselves as natural, they see themselves as a step above natural and a step below godly. The long answer involves many facets of the history of man which have led to our concrete jungle of society. One of the biggest facets, as I have discussed before, is the theological idea of dominion of man. The idea that man is at the top of the hierarchy, that everything was put on this earth for our use in whichever way we see fit, as is god’s will. This idea has led to the exploitation of nature. This idea also puts us a step above non-human animals, putting them in the category of nature, and leaving us outside of it. Another facet of the history of man is the development of technologies. Technological advancements have separated us from nature and nature’s intent. Nature’s intent, as is the intent of all living things, is ...