Wendell Berry Essay

Modern technology has become a major part of societies around the world. While it seems that most people are satisfied with technological progress, there are some who oppose it. In Wendell Berry’s excerpt, Berry affirms that technology is nothing more than greed, and that people should be more focused on caring for their families. Berry also asserts that technology has several negative effects on families, and that technology will do nothing good for the “future of mankind”. The many instances of ruined families, wasted money on technology and abuse to the environment proves that Berry’s statements are true.

First, historical warfare and the deaths it caused are proof that technology has ruined families. World War 2 was the most devastating war in history and alone ended the lives of over 70 million people. Had it not been for the invention of weapons such as machine guns and nuclear bombs, those families would have never been torn apart. The Holocaust, which resulted in the death of 6 million Jews, occurred because of greed and was possible because of technological advances such as Zyklon B Gas used in gas chambers. Millions of families were destroyed by these inventions, proving that technology is not for the good of mankind.

In addition to technology used in warfare, thousands of dollars are wasted each year on technology that is unnecessary. Entertainer P. Diddy recently bought his son a $300,000 luxury vehicle. Rather than spending the $300,000 to help feed starving people around the world, P. Diddy chose to waste his money on a car that his son didn’t need. Also, the Japanese government is planning to spend $35 million dollars on robotic intelligence by 2015 which will be capable of performing jobs such as teaching, secretarial work and crossing guards. If robots are continuously created to take the place of humans, how will people be able to make a living and support their families? Obviously, this technology will not lead to a better “future” for the generations to come.

Furthermore, technology has had a terrible effect on the environment. Technology such as cars and machines used in factories release overwhelming amounts of pollution into the air. These air pollutants have been linked to deaths and have been proven to cause cancer, lung problems, and allergies. Technology has also had a negative effect on the animals that play an important part in the environment. Illegal poachers are able to easily kill off animals like elephants and rhinoceroses with special weapons.