“Few are guilty, but all are responsible.”

The phrase “Technology is Anthropology” may suggest a perspective that views Technology as an integral part of human culture and social systems. Not much difference from Catholic Social Teachings. (CST) and it incorporates the See-Judge-Act methods to understand where we humans have been entirely, are in the present, and where we are going. It implies that Technology’s development, use, and impact are deeply intertwined with human behavior, society, and how people perceive and interact with their environment.

Culture is always in the room. Religion and Technology are always in the room. All of this is Anthropology.

In anthropology, the study of humanity, scholars often examine how various aspects of culture, including Technology, shape and are shaped by human activities. The phrase may underscore the idea that Technology is not just a set of tools or machines but is embedded in the broader context of human existence; therefore, it is embedded in religion. It highlights the cultural and social dimensions of Technology, emphasizing that understanding Technology requires an examination of its role in human life, culture, religion, and society in the broadest spectrum.

Alternatively, it could be interpreted in a way that suggests Technology has become inseparable from the study of anthropology itself. In the modern world, Technology influences how anthropologists collect data, communicate their findings, and engage with their study communities. It implies that Technology has become an essential tool in the practice of anthropology, culture, religion, and how we form and develop our Catholic Social Teachings, impacting the discipline’s methods and subject matter.

“Technology is anthropology” can have several interpretations when considering religion, social teachings, and social democracy.

1. Technology as a product of and reflection of human culture: This is a crucial point within the anthropology of Technology, which argues that Technology isn’t just objective progress but a social and cultural phenomenon shaped by human values, religious beliefs, and ways of living. It analyzes how technologies arise, are used, and change within specific social contexts instead of focusing solely on their technical specifications. Think Societial Phase Change.

2. Understanding Technology through anthropological methods: Anthropologists use qualitative methods like ethnographic fieldwork, participant observation, and interviews to understand human behavior and culture. Applying these methods to Technology can reveal how people interact with Technology, how it shapes their perspective on culture and practices of religion, what meanings they attach to it, and how it affects their daily lives and social structures.

3. The human impact of Technology: This interpretation emphasizes how Technology shapes human societies and individuals. This includes positive and negative effects, such as increased communication and access to information and issues like privacy concerns, job displacement, and social inequalities exacerbated by Technology.

4. Tech itself as a form of anthropology: This more metaphorical understanding suggests that Technology can be seen as a way of studying ourselves. Just as anthropologists study different cultures, studying how we design, use, and adapt to Technology can offer insights into human cognition, values, and social organization, as how we go about living the Kingdom of God, practicing the principles of the Sermon on the Mount and how we interpret Catholic Social Teaching in a world of emerging Technology.

Ultimately, the meaning of “Technology is anthropology” depends on the specific context and what you want to emphasize.

It can be a call to study Technology more holistically and socially, a reminder that Technology is shaped by and shapes human culture, religion, and social practices, or a deeper reflection on the complex relationship between our creations, our God, and ourselves.

See

1. What happens in your life because of Technology? Which behaviors change or evolve because of Technology, and how do you use the Technology? What cause/effect of the human condition can be found in the story of how you use Technology? Where and when can you pinpoint a dramatic turn of events in how you live because of Technology? How does that compare to the human condition around you?

2. What about this new emerging Technology incorporating artificial intelligence that tells you that it is more than about convenience to make life easier?

3. What are the social, psychological, and spiritual consequences of emerging Technology and its effect on how you think about the kingdom of God? Social Justice? Care of the Planet?

Judge

1. What do you think about the Gospels, and can you apply the teachings to our world of Technology?

2. What does our faith tell us about the abuse of Technology and the disregard for human life in events happening in the world at present? Who is in control, and is it good or bad?

3. How would you assemble a team to address the moral, ethical, and cultural causes/effects of Emerging Technology? How would you go about integrating Catholic Social Teachings into our discernment process?

Act

1. As you think about our world with emerging Technology, what do you want to change so people can live in peace and be safe and happy? Who do you have to reach out to and bring on board?

2. What collective action (s) can we take together to bring that change? How do we measure our success?

3. What education and collaboration are needed on an ongoing basis to ensure success?

So when we think about social justice, Technology, and the world today, let’s remember a quote from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who wrote in his classic 1962 book The Prophets, “Above all, the prophets remind us of the moral state of a people: Few are guilty, but all are responsible.”