Albert Erisman

Questioning Technology with Jacques Ellul

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Technologists usually have a vision and desire to produce something great. Some technologists, often because of their faith, have a nobler goal of producing something that advances God’s good creation. But even our best intentions are sometimes compromised. This same technology may have huge downsides that are not identified or may even be ignored. Jacques Ellul’s cautious words are often unknown or dismissed, thinking his analysis is not always rooted in a deep understanding of technology and is unjustifiably pessimistic. That would be a mistake. The essays in Questioning Technology with Jacques Ellul awaken an awareness of possible unintended consequences that may follow from some technology development. When I was director of technology for The Boeing Company, conversations with Ellul scholar David Gill led me to ask not only what a particular technology might do for us—but also what this might do to us.”