Technophilia, neo‐Luddism, eDependency and the judgement of Thamus
| Date | 23 November 2012 |
| Pages | 262-272 |
| Published date | 23 November 2012 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14779961211285881 |
| Author | Darryl Coulthard,Susan Keller |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Technophilia, neo-Luddism,
eDependency and the judgement
of Thamus
Darryl Coulthard and Susan Keller
School of Information Systems, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on society’s relationship with technology and
particularly our increasing dependence on electronic technology – so-called eDependency. The paper
argues that technology is not neutral and we must engage with the moral issues that arise from our
relationship with it.
Design/methodology/approach – Society’s relationship with technology is examined through the
lens of Socrates’ consideration of the technology of writing. It identifies “technophilia” as a major
theme in society and “neo-Luddism” as the Socrates-like examination of the benefits of technology.
Findings – While rejecting both technology determinism and technology presentism the paper
argues technology is not neutral and does afford social change within a particular social ecology. The
authors suggest that ultimately the use of all technology, including the technology underpinning
eDependency, leads to important moral questions which deserve considered debate. The paper
concludes by arguing that the Information Systems (IS) discipline should take the mantle of King
Thamus and that the study of these issues should become a key concern for the discipline.
Originality/value – In an age of technophilia, this paper calls considered debate on the moral issues
that arise from our relationship with technology, how it is appropriated, to whose benefit, and how we
change it and will be changed by it.
Keywords eDependency,Technophilia, Technology appropriation,Social ecology, Moral character,
Information systems,Information technology
Paper type Conceptual paper
1. Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to consider our attitude to technology, eDependency, and
its relationship to us. Drawing on the famous quote from Plato of Socrates on
technology and writing in the Phaedrus, we apply Socrates’ approach to our world of
information technology. We consider the technophilia of our age, the need for criticism
of technology, and lead into the discussion of eDependency. Finally, in the spirit of the
Phaedrus we suggest how the information systems (IS) discipline must become more
like Thamus – a normative discipline which critically judges technology and is not
merely an advocate for it.
Possibly one of the most important early discussions on technology was that of
Socrates. Socrates was illiterate and in the Phaedrus he considers the technology of
writing:
Socrates: I heard, then, that at Naucratis, in Egypt, was one of the ancient gods of that
country, the one whose sacred bird is called the ibis, and the name of the god himself was
Theuth. He it was who [274d] invented numbers and arithmetic and geometry and astronomy,
also draughts and dice, and, most important of all, letters. Now the king of all Egypt at that
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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JICES
10,4
262
Received 23 March 2012
Accepted 7 September 2012
Journal of Information,
Communication and Ethics in Society
Vol. 10 No. 4, 2012
pp. 262-272
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/14779961211285881
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