• QUESTION: Of course, We have certain superficial mechanisms, but we cannot claim to have sound ethics, a culture and spirituality genuinely capable of setting limits and teaching clear-minded self-restraint”. It is not strange that so great a power in such hands is capable of destroying life, while the mentality proper to the technocratic paradigm blinds us and does not permit us to see this extremely grave problem of present-day humanity.” (no 24 of Laudate Deum) How do you understand today’s technological rationality?
• David P.

ANSWER: Jacob Parappally MSFS

The latest Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis, Laudate Deum or Praise God, addressed to all people of goodwill, deals with the climate crisis. With prophetic courage, Pope Francis denounces all forms of political and economic powers that turn a blind eye to the alarming situation of climate change. The rich and the powerful who claim to control the destiny of the world are challenged by the Pope to follow the standards of ethics and morality. The most suffering victims of climate change due to rampant growth and progress in science and technology are the poor and the marginalized,
The statement of Pope Francis, “We have certain superficial mechanisms, but we cannot claim to have sound ethics, a culture and spirituality genuinely capable of setting limits and teaching clear-minded self-restraint” is a quotation from his encyclical Laudato Si published in 2015. There is a universal reception of this encyclical which unlike other encyclicals and apostolic letters addressed to all humans who have a duty to care for Mother Earth, their common home. In Laudate Deum the Pope admits that nothing substantial has changed for the last eight years since the previous encyclical Laudato si was published. So he is appealing to all people of goodwill to take all possible steps, however difficult they may be, to arrest the degradation of the environment leading to disastrous consequences for our climate.

Abuse of Power and Misuse of Technology
Warning people of the entire world about the possible disaster of apocalyptic proportions is not to frighten the people but to make them and their leaders who make political and economic policy decisions aware of the seriousness of the issue. This he does with the proofs that substantiate his fears with available scientific data. If the political leaders and governmental agencies that implement the policy decisions do not heed the words of warning, they bring disaster not only to them but also to other people they claim to protect.
The God-given intellectual power that is creatively used for scientific inventions and further applied sciences becomes more efficient and precise in producing technologies. The technology produces machines that are useful to improve the quality of human life, health, and welfare of humans. The same intellectual power that created science and technology is also capable of abusing that power to create weapons for mass destruction or killing thousands of men, women, children, and destroy cultural goods which human efforts and artistic genius have created through many centuries. Pope Francis says in Laudate Deum “Not every increase in power represents progress for humanity. We need only think of the “admirable” technologies that were employed to decimate populations, drop atomic bombs, and annihilate ethnic groups. There were historical moments where our admiration at progress blinded us to the horror of its consequences” (no.24).
Men and women who hold political and economic power and who make decisions for the rest of humanity can bring about disaster on other nations, ethnic groups, and those who oppose their policies by abusing their power. When ethics, morality and spirituality do not guide them in making policy decisions they have no qualms of conscience to destroy others at will. Further, Pope Francis says, “It is chilling to realize that the capacities expanded by technology have given those with the knowledge and especially the economic resources to use them, an impressive dominance over the whole of humanity and the entire world. Never has humanity had such power over itself, yet nothing ensures that it will be used wisely, particularly when we consider how it is currently being used…(Laudate Deum, No.23). The wars that are taking place between Russia and Ukraine, and between Israel and Hamas in Palestine have foreboding lessons for the entire humanity. The two world wars have already created terrible environmental disasters in the last century. Since then many wars were fought which left deep scars on the entire body of humanity which only God can heal.

Technological Rationality – The New Normal
In general, technological progress has made human life easier in many ways. The basic needs of humans, namely, food, shelter, and clothing can be secured today in a way that was unthinkable for primitive people and even for the people a few centuries ago. Though most of the scientific discoveries and their technological applications were mostly used for the production of weapons for war, the fringe benefits were positively utilized by those who could afford to make use of them. It is said that technology has changed the lifestyle of humans and in fact, every aspect of human existence. The last decades of the 20th century and the two decades of the 21st century have seen the progress of science and technology in leaps and bounds. Perhaps, the greatest revolution was the evolution of the means of communication. From ordinary landline telephones to mobile phones, various possibilities of communication have evolved reaching at this time to the discovery and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Who would have ever thought a few decades ago that humans who live thousands and thousands of kilometres apart could see each other and converse using a mobile phone or a computer? Gadgets which were used in the recent past have become obsolete. The search for more and more technological innovations in every field of industrial production is the driving force behind the making of new products. Do people know where humanity is heading? In the hurry to get the best and the latest gadgets and to secure the benefit of all discoveries that affect human life, do humans experience peace within themselves and meaning for their life on earth? Those who have got mired in the benefits of scientific and technological progress, probably, have no time to think about the meaning of their lives.
At this juncture of history, technological rationality is a dominant mode of thinking and decision-making to maximize efficiency and improve productivity using technological solutions. It approaches the issues of production of everything useful for human comfort following a professional approach identifying needs and wants, analysing problems and hurdles involved in the production, and with the use of technology solutions are found and implemented. At the same time, enhancing convenience and efficiency in getting things done fast saving time and effort technological rationality has a negative impact on the lives of individuals and society at large.
In a competitive world of relentless search for making better products efficiently and differently from others creates terrible pressure on individuals and groups creating burnout cases. When the only motive for producing goods and services based on technology is maximum profit, individuals and groups tend to forget basic human values that make humans truly human. The overdependence on technology leads to the loss of many natural, God-given skills and talents of individuals. However, technological rationality can enhance communication and collaboration. Using technological rationality it is possible to improve the efficiency of transportation, enhance healthcare systems, and provide better facilities for human interaction its emphasis on efficiency and productivity is at the expense of human values, human welfare, and a sustainable environment. In extreme cases, the law of the jungle, namely, might is right, becomes the rule for those who have more access to technological discoveries for industrial production and marketing, The huge amount of money that is earned brings along with it power that can be used for dominating others. When money power combined with political power falls into the hands of persons who have no ethical principles that guide their lives, no interest in human welfare, and no care for nature, it is a threat to the survival of the human species.

Unscrupulous Use of Power
There are two types of powers: the power of the subject and the power of the object. What we have discussed about technological progress is about the power of the object. Through applied sciences, technology can efficiently produce objects for human well-being like medicines or for human destruction like weapons. Old types of weapons used for war are modified by technological progress so that they can achieve their targets more precisely and brutally than their earlier versions. Technology is producing a number of new weapons that are highly efficient in destroying humans and properties, Alvin Toffler, in his book, War and Anti-War: Survival at the Dawn of 21st Century(p.30), says, “Armies that could reach further, hit harder, and get there faster usually won, while the range-restricted, less well-armed, and slower armies lost. For this reason, a vast amount of human creative effort has been poured into extending the range, increasing the firepower, and accelerating the speed of weapons and of armies.” Human resources and a huge amount of financial resources of nations are spent on producing or securing weapons that have more efficient destructive power.
The present generations’ admiration and acceptance of what is visually satisfying without critically evaluating the pros and cons of such objects and their positive or negative impact on the lives of humans are enslaved by technological progress. The poor are the worst victims of technological progress. They are pushed to the periphery. However, the present generation is mesmerized by technological progress. Pope Francis has a clear understanding of such a situation, when he says, “ Not every increase in power represents progress for humanity. We need only think of the “admirable” technologies that were employed to decimate populations, drop atomic bombs, and annihilate ethnic groups. There were historical moments where our admiration of progress blinded us to the horror of its consequences. But that risk is always present, because “our immense technological development has not been accompanied by a development in human responsibility, values, and conscience” (Laudate Deum, No.24). The observation about the lack of development about human responsibility, living human values and following one’s well-informed conscience reminds of the possibility of abusing the subjective power of humans with terrible consequences for the entire humanity.
Unbridled technological progress in all aspects of life with potentialities that are immense has the possibility for being misused and abused by all in general but particularly by those who wield political power. Unscrupulous leaders of nations can bring the world to the brink of a precipice. When leaders have no interest in the welfare of their people and the well-being of all and the entire creation they make policies that have disastrous consequences. Pope Francis laments about it when he says, “It is not strange that so great a power in such hands is capable of destroying life, while the mentality proper to the technocratic paradigm blinds us and does not permit us to see this extremely grave problem of present-day humanity” (Ibid., No.24).
In this sad and fearful situation of the world created by human greed and craving for power to control, dominate and subjugate others what the world needs is the rise of prophets who have inner authority, inner security, and courage like John the Baptist and Jesus to confront and challenge leaders who are not accountable for their unethical actions, inhuman in their policies and are untrue to themselves, their people and God. The prophetic mission of Jesus needs to be continued in the world by the Church. A prophet is the one who disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed. All authentic prophets of God challenged all systems of dehumanization and enslavement whether religious, social, political, or economic. When technological rationality dehumanizes and enslaves humans it has to be prophetically denounced for the sake of humans.