Book Review: Technoscience as a system or megastructure: a comment on Jacques Ellul's book The Technological System


Published: Jun 3, 2024
Keywords:
Jacques Ellul; Technological System; Technique; Technology; Progress; Techno-science; Social Structure; Autonomy
Ilias Daglis
Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive commentary on Jacques Ellul’s seminal work, The Technological System. It explores the profound impact of science and technology on modern society, defining "Technique" not merely as a collection of tools, but as an autonomous, all-encompassing mediation between humans and their environment. The analysis examines how the technological system dominates the social fabric, satisfying ancient human needs while simultaneously imposing new internal constraints that threaten individual freedom and the authentic development of personality. By detailing the shift from a natural to a technological environment, the study highlights how human consciousness and choices are increasingly shaped by the logic of efficiency, often without the individual’s awareness of this systemic integration. Ultimately, the study presents Ellul’s critique as a vital, reflexive tool for understanding the "technical phenomenon" that defines contemporary Western life.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Articles
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Douatzis, G. The Broken Toy: The Last Interview of Kostas Axelos [Το σπασμένο παιχνίδι. Η τελευταία συνέντευξη του Κώστα Αξελού]. Kapon, 2011.
Ellul, Jacques. La technique ou l'enjeu du siècle. Armand Colin, 1954. Économica, 1990 & 2008.
Ellul, Jacques. Le système technicien. Calmann-Lévy, 1977. Le cherche-midi, 2004 & 2012.
Ellul, Jacques. The Technological Society. Translated by Joachim Neugroschel. Continuum, 1980.
Ellul, Jacques. The Technological System [Το Τεχνικό Σύστημα]. Translated by Giannis Ioannidis. Alistou Mnimis, 2013.
Lambrakos, G. “Welcome to the Machine – For Jacques Ellul” [“Καλωσήρθατε στη Μηχανή – Για τον Ζακ Ελλύλ”]. Book Press, June 16, 2013. http://www.bookpress.gr.
Toffler, Alvin. Future Shock. Amereon Ltd, n.d.
Toffler, Alvin. Future Shock [Το σοκ του μέλλοντος]. Translated by Elsa Nikolaou. Kaktos, 1994.