Technology Assessment: Democracy's Crucible, the Future of Science and Technology, and Implications for Our Defense in the Twenty-first Century

摘要

Technology assessment (TA) has been known by different definitions down through the years, and it is possible that the failure to secure a uniform definition lies in the differences which social scientists, classical scientists, and the general public have about its core elements. Another key issue is that open and democratic societies seem to favor the practice of technology assessment despite variable ideas about what it means, while more restrictive societies with strict cultural and political sanctions on freedom of expression tend to oppose TA. For our purposes, we should try to outline a workable definition which is symptomatic of a highly innovative, technologically acquisitive, and scientifically robust society where political democracy and commercial entrepreneurship go hand in hand. We should provide a definition that both reflects current reality and is expansive enough to encompass the next 25 years of political and technological development, swaying precariously between the extremes of reckless democratic expressionism and rampant materialistic nihilism. So what is technology assessment. Technology assessment is the systematic evaluation of innovative, novel, and unique discoveries and developments in all fields of science and technology to examine both the immediate and long-term societal, political, and ethical impacts of new ideas and advancements to ascertain whether their net impact is either positive or negative. It also estimates any expected or unexpected outcomes which could result from, or be triggered by, these new ideas, advances, discoveries, and developments.