Technokratie : politische und wirtschaftliche Schicksale einer philosophischen Idee
Technocracy : political and economic destinies of a philosophical idea
- Nowadays the term "technocracy", which means the elimination of politics by the rule of scientific reasoning, is most often used with a quite negative overtone. Technocrats are described as experts without morals, able to function in any kind of political system. Nevertheless one should remember that the technocratic idea contained from the very beginning a strong ethic element: conventional political power as an instrument of repression should be replaced by the rule of sciences as an instrument to improve human life. Although the idea of eliminating politics by "science-based" decisions of an autocratic leadership has been widely used to legitimate totalitarian rule, it is obvious, that clear technocratic reasoning and decision making do not go conform with the functioning of a totalitarian system. On the contrary, technic and technologic innovation accelerated the breakdown of totalitarianism. The complex character of modern societies calls for regulation by markets and pluralistic political systems. The evolution of our technicalNowadays the term "technocracy", which means the elimination of politics by the rule of scientific reasoning, is most often used with a quite negative overtone. Technocrats are described as experts without morals, able to function in any kind of political system. Nevertheless one should remember that the technocratic idea contained from the very beginning a strong ethic element: conventional political power as an instrument of repression should be replaced by the rule of sciences as an instrument to improve human life. Although the idea of eliminating politics by "science-based" decisions of an autocratic leadership has been widely used to legitimate totalitarian rule, it is obvious, that clear technocratic reasoning and decision making do not go conform with the functioning of a totalitarian system. On the contrary, technic and technologic innovation accelerated the breakdown of totalitarianism. The complex character of modern societies calls for regulation by markets and pluralistic political systems. The evolution of our technical civilization improved the conditions for democratic selforganisation.…
Author details: | Hermann Lübbe |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-11355 |
Publication type: | Postprint |
Language: | German |
Publication year: | 1998 |
Publishing institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Release date: | 2006/12/18 |
Source: | WeltTrends : Zeitschrift für internationale Politik und vergleichende Studien. - 18 (1998). - S. 39 – 61 |
RVK - Regensburg classification: | MA 8157 |
Organizational units: | Extern / Extern |
DDC classification: | 3 Sozialwissenschaften / 30 Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie / 300 Sozialwissenschaften |
Collection(s): | Universität Potsdam / Zeitschriften / WeltTrends : Zeitschrift für internationale Politik, ISSN 0944-8101 / Technokratie 18 (1998) |
External remark: | erschienen in: WeltTrends : Zeitschrift für internationale Politik und vergleichende Studien. - 18 (1998) WeltTrends erscheint im Universitätsverlag Potsdam Abowünsche und Bestellungen von Einzelheften bitte per Mail an den Universitätsverlag: ubpub@rz.uni-potsdam.de Einzelheft: 5,00 € (Preisliste) |