MankindIsConfrontedbyOneSupremeTask.docVIP

Winston Churchill and Technology Introduction: While Winston Churchill is best known as the leader of Great Britain during World War II, he was also a well-known writer who commented on a variety of different issues including the role of technology in modern life. The purpose of this lesson is to investigate and to discuss Churchill’s views on technological change in his lifetime and to ponder whether he felt technology is beneficial for humankind or a serious threat to our existence. This is a discussion-based lesson using a series of questions about Churchill’s article Mankind is Confronted by One Supreme Task (see p.5). Guiding questions: What were Churchill’s views on the benefits and potential problems of rapid technological change in the world? Does humankind have the ability to cope with the change? Why or why not? Compare Churchill’s view with those of other writers on the role of technology in our lives. (suggested readings listed below) Learning Objectives: -Students should be able to list specific benefits of modern technology according to Churchill. -Students should be able to list specific potential dangers of modern technology according to Churchill. -Students should be able to summarize Churchill’s arguments regarding whether humans have the ability to control technological change. -Students should be able to compare and contrast Churchill’s views with those of other writers on technology and its impact. Background Information: From the earliest stages of industrialization and rapid technological change in Great Britain and subsequently the United States, there were voices of concern and dissent regarding the impact of these changes in everyday life. In the first decade of the 19th century in Great Britain, a group of loosely organized anti-industry men, largely made up of weavers who had lost their livelihood to the faster production of the machine, violently opposed the new factory system in England. Known as the Luddites, these groups atta