Han vs Roman Attitudes Toward Tech

Kimberly Giron AP World history September 27, 2012 World annals DBQ Han society had positive placement towards engine room as some saying it as beneficial to society and others considered it a dower. Ro homophile society had more than of a supportive yet demeaning attitude towards engineering science. There is no doubt that things that benefit people and gift ar considered positive. A Han presidential term official (Document 1) wrote to local officials in order to advise them on how to white plague their technology to prevent floods, showing his interests in preventing the imperium so that it doesnt fall.Not exclusively that, Han Guan, a nonher organization official (Document 2) goes against the way the government is monopolizing the making of technology and that technology should be practise by the people, since government made technologies be brittle and costing the government more money as not much brininess is being produced. It is very interesting that an offici al would address against the government, but it may be due to the fact that the scarcity of salt is costing this official money.Both officials may also be looking to maintain their positions or get high-pitcheder ones once the emperor becharms how well they are looking after the empire, which can only be maintained with the tending of technology. former(a)s in Han society consider technology as a gift from enlightened leaders. Huan Tan, an quality philosopher (document 3) mentions that Fuxi invented some technology which was efficient and beneficial to society. Fuxi, is express to be a wise enlightened emperor which means that since Fuxi made it, it is no doubt a great gift.There is also some government sponsored history (Document 4) which characterizes Tu Shih as a just and commoner loving man who developed technology in order lift some of the charge up of labor off the people. Technology was Tu Shihs gift to the people and Tu Shih, was considered a Fuxi. accordingly this government sponsored historian also considers technology a gift. Roman attitude towards technology was that is was necessary but that it didnt take much intelligence to make such technology, or in other words, a demeaning attitude.Cicero, an upper- discipline politician leader (Document 5), considered technology as something for vulgar common folk,not gentlemen. He believed that skill wasnt required to engagement such thing but, he neer mentioned that technology was useless. Seneca, a philosopher and adviser (Document 7) also believed that it doesnt take brains to come up with technology but never attacks its use in society as he sees that it doesnt matter who made it, but its use that matters.Their attitude must be influenced by the fact that technology was made by the trim back class and acknowledging lower class organise would mean lowering their pride. Other Roman attitudes were that technology was needed to create beauty. Frontius, a Roman command (Document 8) gives a glo wing report on how beautiful technology has been equal to(p) to make the empires aqueducts, far more superior than structures in Greece and Egypt. Plutarch, a high official in Rome (Document 6) gives another positive report on the beauty of Roman roads created by Gaius Gracchus which was built with the help of their technology.Therefore, technology is practical, is essential for making things beautiful, but looked down upon as it is used by the lower class. Despite the different societies, it is clear that in all(prenominal) empire government officials and upper-class philosophers tend to share attitudes towards technology. It would be interesting to see the attitudes of common workers and women towards technology as they are the ones who make more use of it.Workers may be most affected by technology as they are the ones whom upper-class Romans consider to be the vulgar people who work with it and brainless people who invent it. In Han societies they would be the ones who produce the salt and also need the protection given by technology. The opinions of women would also take into account information on how women were involved in technology and how it affected sex roles. The documents above only provide a view for one class in each society therefore not giving a clear overall attitude on technology in each society.