Graduation Year

2024

Date of Submission

4-2024

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Government

Reader 1

James H. Nichols, Jr.

Reader 2

Christopher Nadon

Rights Information

© 2024 Jameson Mitrovich

Abstract

In this thesis, I wish to explore the significance of technology in the thought of four thinkers: Lucretius, Aristotle, Locke, and Marx. Specifically, I will investigate the difference between ancient and modern conceptions of technology in light of the problem of human happiness. I defend the possibility of a theoretical alternative to our modern technological project.

This thesis is divided into four sections. I begin with Lucretius and Aristotle, two ancient thinkers who seem to have predicted and expressed concerns over the modern technological project. Lucretius, an ancient who is somewhat reminiscent of modern progressive thinkers, praises technological progress for the philosophy it allows while condemning it for the pain it inflicts on the soul. I will then turn to Aristotle, an ancient who sees nature as a guide for philosophy and politics. Aristotle believes that the true end of human life is “eudaimonia,” and the limitless quality of technological innovation threatens both the possibility for humans to be truly happy and the stability of political society.

I then examine Locke and Marx, two modern philosophers who are firmly on the side of technological progress. Through Locke, I outline the modern sense that nature is inhospitable and requires human artifice for abundance. Locke subverts the question of happiness and leaves it up to the individual. Instead, he focuses on the material conditions necessary to pursue happiness. In Marx, we see the attempt to fully liberate man from the confines of nature. I will argue that technological advancement is at the foundation of this liberation. Put simply, technology creates the condition of possibility for a revolution that resolves the fundamental contradictions of human life by freeing our spontaneous capacity to create from the shackles imposed by the division of labor.

This thesis cannot provide the answer to the problem of technology and human happiness. We live in a world that has been created by technology. We are fundamentally modern. The purpose of this thesis is to show that there is significant disagreement about the utility of technology, especially regarding its effects on human happiness and political organization. My goal is to defend the importance of the ancient critique of technology because most people today are comfortable with the notion of technological progress and do not see its negative effects as a part of a larger set of issues. I wish to bring attention to a competing view that allows us to consider modern technology in a different theoretical context.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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