In this blog post, we will examine the positive and negative impacts of science and technology on human life, as well as its actual potential to contribute to the advancement of happiness.
These days, corporate social responsibility is a major issue. Many companies are actively fulfilling their responsibilities through social activities and expressing their commitment through advertising. For example, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction is providing electricity to countries without electricity, and Korea Electric Power Corporation is helping countries without their own power generation technology to build power plants. Social activities take various forms, but I began writing this article because I had doubts about social activities in which companies with advanced technology provide technology to regions lacking technological capabilities.
Does the act of disseminating technology to technologically underdeveloped countries or providing electricity to those living without it truly enhance their happiness? Should we not respect their way of life? Furthermore, can science and technology truly enhance human happiness? I could not easily answer “yes” to these questions. For someone who had dedicated themselves to studying science and technology with the goal of enhancing human happiness, this was a disheartening realization. What have I, and indeed many scientists and engineers who have devoted their lives to the advancement of science and technology, been striving for? Until I found the answer to this question, I could not take a single step toward my dream.
Before beginning the discussion, let us first examine the definition of happiness. According to the Oxford Dictionary, happiness is defined as “a state of well-being or contentment resulting from satisfaction with one’s life.”
Of course, the definition of happiness varies greatly depending on people’s values, but for the sake of this discussion, we will define happiness as a state of feeling sufficient satisfaction and joy. Does the advancement of science and technology increase the absolute amount of happiness? If this proposition is true, then we should be much happier now than in primitive times, or at least than in the Joseon Dynasty. However, can you say with confidence that you feel greater satisfaction and joy than the people of the Joseon Dynasty?
If you think that the absolute amount of happiness cannot be measured or that it is difficult to judge because you have not experienced the Joseon Dynasty, let’s ask a more specific question. Are Americans, who live based on the most advanced science and technology, happier than Danes, who live surrounded by nature? Although it is impossible to express happiness as an absolute number, when comparing national happiness indices, we can see that Americans actually have a lower happiness index. If you still find it difficult to make a direct comparison due to differences in culture, lifestyle, and values, consider the following question: Has your happiness, or satisfaction and joy in life, increased thanks to smartphones, which are a collection of the latest technologies? Can you confidently say that life in the mid-2000s, before smartphones, was happier than it is now?
I don’t think so. Today, we are so dependent on smartphones that it is difficult to feel satisfaction and joy in life without them, but in the feature phone era, the existence of smartphones had no effect on our happiness. This is because, in a situation where the concept of smartphones did not even exist, their absence could not affect our satisfaction and joy in life. Through the above three questions, I hope you have shared the doubts I initially felt about the relationship between science and technology and happiness. Let’s continue the discussion with these questions in mind.
Now, let’s analyze the opposite position. Does the advancement of science and technology really fail to promote human happiness? Let’s consider a counterexample that often comes to mind. When we buy a new car or electronic device, we feel much more satisfaction and joy than we did before we had it (although this feeling quickly fades). Then isn’t this an increase in happiness brought about by the advancement of science and technology? Here, we must accurately distinguish between happiness derived from the fulfillment of material desires and happiness resulting from the advancement of science and technology. If this is happiness increased thanks to the advancement of science and technology, then you should feel satisfaction and joy in life when the new car or electronic device is released, not when you purchase it. However, people only feel happiness when it becomes their own.
This is merely enthusiasm for new things, beauty, and novelty packaged well by science and technology, and science and technology itself only creates material desires and does not contribute to the promotion of happiness. Let’s advance the discussion with a specific example. Why do people want to buy the latest smartphones? If they want to use the latest technology, the happiness they feel when using their friend’s latest smartphone should be the same as when they purchase and use the device themselves, but this is not the case.
Ultimately, people purchase smartphones to satisfy material desires created by the advancement of science and technology. Therefore, it is difficult to say that science and technology itself directly contributes to the happiness of smartphone purchasers.
Then why can’t science and technology contribute to the promotion of human happiness? I found the reason in the dual nature of science and technology. I believe that science and technology always has two sides, and by its very nature, it is difficult to promote absolute human happiness. Science and technology can either enhance or hinder human happiness depending on who uses it and how it is used. For example, nuclear fission technology has solved humanity’s energy problems, but it also threatens humanity with nuclear weapons. Smartphones have made communication between people more convenient and enabled rapid information acquisition, but they also have significant negative aspects such as neck pain and invasion of privacy. The development of transportation has greatly expanded the range of human activities, but it has also increased negative effects such as environmental pollution and the risk of accidents.
Some people may argue that even if we acknowledge the dual nature of science and technology, if the positive effects outweigh the negative effects, then it contributes to the promotion of human happiness. However, this is also not true. The dual nature of science and technology stems from the dual nature of the humans who use it, not from the positive or negative attributes of science and technology itself. Science and technology are inherently neutral and cannot contribute to the advancement of human happiness on their own. For example, although the performance of weapons has improved dramatically, the number of casualties in modern warfare has not increased exponentially. This is because it depends more on the extent to which the negative aspects of human nature are manifested than on the level of scientific and technological development. This shows that even weapon technology can have positive or negative effects depending on how and for what purpose it is used.
Does this mean that those of us who study science and technology no longer need to study and develop science and technology? No, it does not. Science and technology itself cannot promote human happiness, but it can be a useful tool for achieving human happiness. For example, the development of magnetic resonance imaging has made it possible to diagnose diseases that were previously undetectable, thereby helping many people who were dying in pain without even knowing the name of their illness. In addition, the development of assistive devices for people with disabilities is improving their mobility and convenience, thereby enhancing their quality of life. Autonomous vehicle technology will also contribute to reducing traffic accidents and saving lives. These examples illustrate the indirect enhancement of happiness that can be achieved by utilizing science and technology in a positive manner. This demonstrates that science and technology are indirect yet important tools necessary for enhancing human happiness.
We must not make the mistake of shunning science and technology out of fear of its negative effects, simply because it does not directly promote happiness. This is similar to the foolish behavior of early Europeans during the Industrial Revolution, who destroyed machines because they believed they would take away jobs. Many people believe that the purpose of life is to provide future generations with more opportunities for happiness. And these opportunities depend on the development of neutral science and technology. Of course, how future generations will use science and technology is their responsibility. However, previous generations have the duty to pass on the collective knowledge they have accumulated to future generations. The sweat we shed today is creating opportunities for future generations to find greater happiness. All those studying science and technology, let us persevere. We are contributing “indirectly” to the enhancement of human happiness!
