The philosopher Sigmund Freud was an extremely innovative thinker of his time; however, his impressions of the technological innovations he saw were discerningly bleak. In his book Civilization and its Discontents he captures many of the timeless frustrations people have about such advancements. In one part of the book he says, “If there had been no railway to conquer distance, my child would never have left town and I should need no telephone to hear his voice” (Freud). This is a commentary on the extremely ironic idea that technology is created to help solve the problems past technology created. The invention of the telephone would have never come to fruition if the railroad did not create a need for communication over vast distances. Freud then goes on to critique the existence of technology even further, arguing “This newly won mastery over space and time… has not increased the amount of pleasure they can expect from life or made us feel happier…these satisfactions [are] ‘cheap pleasures’”(Freud). The invention of a telephone or a railroad, in Freud’s opinion, is not advancement at all because it does not advance or increase the happiness of a person’s life. Today, such convictions are still extremely relevant. Many people argue the advancements of our century have created a generation who is less social, less “in the moment”, and extremely impatient. This was also true about previous generations as well, when the television came out many people feared it would lessen human connections.
All do not share such a negative attitude towards technology, Mark Twain was known for his interest in the latest and greatest advancements of his time. This interest is seen in his book “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”. The main character, Hank, is thrown out of his time period into the 6th century. It follows him through his experiences in England, without the advancements and comforts of his previous life. Early on this tension comes to a head when Hank was in an apartment looking around “There was no soap, no matches, no looking glass… and not a chromo. I had been used to chromos for years, and I saw now that without my suspecting it a passion for art had got worked into the fabric of my being and was become a part of me”(45). The technology of Hanks previous life, chromos had become apart of his identity. Without it he felt as thought something was missing. This could be seen in two ways, the first is as a commentary to the negative reliance on advancements. Critics would say people should be able to rely solely on themselves for happiness and it is unhealthy to have an inanimate object, like a phone or a chromo, become apart of someone’s identity. However, such an idea could also be seen as a positive, a person is able to get direct happiness from an inanimate object to a point where it is so interwoven into them. This could add to their ability to connect with others, find a passion, or strive to make improvements. It also shows how important technology has become in everyday lives, Freud argued technology only creates the need for more technology and such a pursuit is futile and fills a person with little happiness. But in Hank’s case, the absence of technology made him upset suggesting there is a happiness that can come from technology. In today’s world, there is a constant tension between the excitement of innovation paired with the desire or nostalgia for the way the “past” was before such inventions. I hope to dig deeper into this debate through analysis and class discussion while keeping an open mind for both viewpoints.