What is a Neo-Luddite?
A Neo-Luddite is someone who believes that the use of technology has serious ethical, moral, and social ramifications. Operating under this belief, Neo-Luddites are cautious to promote early adoption of technology, and while they are not necessarily opposed to technology, they would prefer to see a more serious discussion of the role of technology in society. Some Neo-Luddites actually dislike technology, opting for a life of “voluntary simplicity,” but this is not always the case. The term “Luddite” comes from a political movement during the Industrial Revolution. The Luddites disliked the spread of mechanical devices such as mechanized looms to accomplish tasks which were formerly performed by people. They held marches, destroyed factories, and engaged in other types of activism in an attempt to prevent further technological development. Ultimately, the Luddites were unsuccessful, but when people started to question technology in large numbers again in the 1970s, they revived the con
“A true neo-Luddite is not against technological progress, per se. Rather, it is the inappropriate use of technology that concerns the neo-Luddite. For example, neo-Luddites are in favour of using the internet as a mechanism for transmitting ideas.” A classic example of a modern day neo-Luddite is David Suzuki who argues strongly against changes arising from the science of genetics, such as human cloning and genetically modified foods. Some websites of interest to Neo-Luddites, as well as a number of other sites that could be considered to be contrary to neo-luddism, are given below.
“A true neo-Luddite is not against technological progress, per se. Rather, it is the inappropriate use of technology that concerns the neo-Luddite. For example, neo-Luddites are in favour of using the internet as a mechanism for transmitting ideas.” Some websites of interest to Neo-Luddites, as well as a number of other sites that could be considered to be contrary to neo-luddism, are given below.
