Thread by @SaamaanyaJ

#Thread - There is this point that troubles all of us. Why did Modern #Technology not happen in India, in spite of the fact that we did have a fairly advanced Science and Tech until 14th Century.

Is our way of life opposed to the kind of Technology we produce today?

+

Extending further, this results in “Is Dharma against Modern Technology, or even Technology itself? Is there a Conflict?”.

If not, what is the kind of Technology that Dharma anchors and enables.

+

This question cannot be answered directly. We need to take a step back & approach this by asking other Questions.

1. What is the Dharmic perspective of Life?
2. What is our perspective of Human nature?
3. Where does Dharma place Technology as a consequence?

+

The perspective of life is very clear - The pursuit of Purushartha where Artha, Kama are bound by Dharma enabling the pursuit of Moksha.

The perspective of Human Nature? This is key to get a perspective of Technology.

+

There are 5 kinds of experiences Human beings strive for. We are capable of such actions.

1. Performative Experiences / Actions
2. Consummatory Experiences
3. Aesthetic Experiences
4. Ritualistic Experiences
5. Renunciatory or Yogic Experiences

This is Biology / Psychology.

+

The Purushartha perspective of life has resulted in the following.
1. An Indulgence in 3 results in reduced 1 and 2
2. An Indulgence in 4 and 5 results in reduced 1, 2 and 3
3. Community Life results in higher order 4 and 5 there by contributing to reduced 1 & 2

+

Now, the emphasis of 4 & 5 in overall life requires a different kind of ‘Technology paradigm’ - that retains more power with people and society, that is malleable, ductile, can constantly be reconfigured.

This reflects in System Design, Science and Technology.

+

It will be a surprise to us that a lot of our Science and associated Tech evolved for the purpose of 3 and 4 and even 5 (Maths in particular) than 1 and 2.

The Modern Science and Technology is largely in the realm of 1 and 2.

+

So, the Experience Composition of Purushartha life itself has resulted in a different Technology paradigm. If this has to be elaborated its a full-fledged Paper.

The west evolved a perspective of life, after Protestantism, where the Ritualistic/Yogic indulges were limited.

+

With only Performative and Consummatory Experiences under consideration and an Aesthetic that is subservient to them, it resulted in a perspective of life that fundamentally seeks more material - independent of whether it needed or not.

+

This is further exacerbated by the paradigm of Science & Tech that evolved out of Religious Thinking ie., building explanatory models which transformed itself to become building ‘Models’/Model Thinking.

This has shaped a completely different Technology paradigm in the west.

+

Of Course, post British era we have taken to Model Thinking very easily because we are not against Science and Technology, though we still pursue the material much less, we still strive for a better balance across the 5 experiences.

But Originality takes a beating.

+

With Model Thinking coming very naturally to the West, not so naturally to us, we will never be as original as them in the same paradigm - Unless we appreciate this difference and adopt their Model Thinking into our Technology Paradigm - the Sutra Paradigm.

+

Right now, we suffer from so much insecurity of not having created the Model paradigm, we cannot even imagine that we had a paradigm of our own, because it does not seem to be helpful in creating anything unique in our times.

Its a very long journey.

END.