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Paper 2 - Multi-source Paper

Should We Really Worry About Technology in Our Lives?

Elaine L. Graham (2003) writes that “public life involves choices about what it means to be human. Today these choices are increasingly mediated by technical decisions” (p. 40). Quittner (2001) sketches his picture of the current state of this mediation in his essay, “Invasion of Privacy”. In his essay, he suggests that there may be ways to mediate between invasions of privacy and privacy protections. Silver (2001) sketches a not-so-distant-futurist perspective on technology as it impacts the very make up of a human being. For Silver (2001), “If something becomes possible in our brave new reproductive world, someone will probably do it, somewhere, sometime” (p. 367).

Your assignment is to write a 4 page essay in which you synthesize Quittner and Silver for the purpose of addressing the question, “Should we really worry about technology in our lives?”

Use categories in Graham’s essay, together with the examples and evidence in Quittner and Silver, to develop your own perspective on technology and life. You might locate your view within one of Graham’s philosophies, work to bridge several of those perspectives, or build your view as a challenge to elements of Graham.

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