Good tools, right use
Tools extend the hand, the human reach. Not just outward in conquest–too often we have used technology to degrade life on earth when that has been our aim. But can technology help us reach inward to better understand ourselves, our role in society, and our place among all living things? I believe it can.
For one thing, it can lift us up beyond the subsistence of life without tools. Even Wendell Berry and other critics of high technology accept certain tools for their ability to raise our quality of life. Good tools help us live better, healthier lives.
But they do more than ease the drudgery of manual labor. They help us complete ourselves. A fine wood plane satisfies in its use, connects us more deeply with the source of our work, the material, and augments our inspiration and creativity. Even a scanning electron microscope can be a wonder, opening our eyes to an unseen world and helping us learn and create in ways we could never have dreamed of without it. Employed with imagination and creativity it can help us solve problems and improve quality of life significantly.
What matters is our aim in applying our tools and technologies. What do we want to accomplish? Why is it important? Who is it helping? Does it harm? We need to keep asking ourselves these questions as our tools become ever more powerful. Without proper guidance, a fine wood plane can injure a finger. An ill-conceived genetically modified organism, however, holds the potential for far greater harm. Contemplating this, I always think of how my father-in-law, a devout Christian, closes his mealtime blessings: “Lead us in the right use of your gifts.” Amen.