Industrial Revolution Optimism

[Yinko]

The Industrial Revolution is a time when probably the greatest net-good for humanity happened in the shortest time. However, unlike today, I don't recall anyone at the time having a kind of messianic attitude where they claimed that technology would "save the world". The modern perspective projects an obscene optimism upon them, one that I have never encountered in any contemporary writing. Have any of you?

Is there any real reason to think that people at the time viewed the world optimistically, viewed their engineering marvels as saving them? To my mind this is either a Cold-War era conceit, or a Digital Revolution one.

 

[ATP]

The Industrial Revolution is a time when probably the greatest net-good for humanity happened in the shortest time. However, unlike today, I don't recall anyone at the time having a kind of messianic attitude where they claimed that technology would "save the world". The modern perspective projects an obscene optimism upon them, one that I have never encountered in any contemporary writing. Have any of you?

Is there any real reason to think that people at the time viewed the world optimistically, viewed their engineering marvels as saving them? To my mind this is either a Cold-War era conceit, or a Digital Revolution one.

Well,i read Jules Verne books as child,and,at least there,there was not mesianic attitude.But - author still belived in better future with better machines.Certainly not Utopia.

 

[stevep]

The Industrial Revolution is a time when probably the greatest net-good for humanity happened in the shortest time. However, unlike today, I don't recall anyone at the time having a kind of messianic attitude where they claimed that technology would "save the world". The modern perspective projects an obscene optimism upon them, one that I have never encountered in any contemporary writing. Have any of you?

Is there any real reason to think that people at the time viewed the world optimistically, viewed their engineering marvels as saving them? To my mind this is either a Cold-War era conceit, or a Digital Revolution one.

Well if your talking about ideological belief the best examples would probably be assorted forms of 'rationalism' along with economic doctrine, such as laissez faire and then the more extreme forms of socialism both of which tended to argue for absolute solutions to problems. Unfortunately both are still about to some degree or another - the old fallacy of the free ride - but I think many people realise that of course you need constant awareness of the old problems of corruption - in various forms - and greed and opposition to such to keep things working.

Humans being what we are too many people think there's a simplistic, even 'perfect' solution to all problems but we do need to continually work to keep things functional.

 

[PsihoKekec]

In the 19th century many people did believe that industrialisation will solve all the mankind's ills, Jules Verne being the most popular of the writers of the era who espoused such views.

 

[ATP]

In the 19th century many people did believe that industrialisation will solve all the mankind's ills, Jules Verne being the most popular of the writers of the era who espoused such views.

Yes,but it still was not utopia.Only better society.

 

[LordDemiurge]

here they claimed that technology would "save the world".

There were actually simillar attitudes at the time in response to the advent of science.

There were speculations back in the day that we would enter an age when 'steam will take over drudgery.' Futurists in the early 1920s predicted we would basically be the Federation by 2020.



I don't have the source for the steam one atm, it was from a history book I read awhile back.

 

[Yinko]

There were actually similar attitudes at the time in response to the advent of science.

There were speculations back in the day that we would enter an age when 'steam will take over drudgery.' Futurists in the early 1920s predicted we would basically be the Federation by 2020.



I don't have the source for the steam one atm, it was from a history book I read awhile back.

Interesting, a bit later than I was thinking. The video starts its predictions at 1900, at the tail end of the Industrial Age and close to the start of the Electrical Age. The 1900-1920's stuff in the video shows a prediction that is "the same but more", while the cold-war ones show a future that is idealized, a world of wonders. If anything that would seem to support my assertion that this optimism was a baby-boomer thing.

 

[49ersfootball]

The Industrial Revolution is a time when probably the greatest net-good for humanity happened in the shortest time. However, unlike today, I don't recall anyone at the time having a kind of messianic attitude where they claimed that technology would "save the world". The modern perspective projects an obscene optimism upon them, one that I have never encountered in any contemporary writing. Have any of you?

Is there any real reason to think that people at the time viewed the world optimistically, viewed their engineering marvels as saving them? To my mind this is either a Cold-War era conceit, or a Digital Revolution one.

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