KASIM TIRMIZEY

ENGR 392 - The Impact of Technology on

Society
Session #2 - Does Technolo y Control Us?
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Logical Fallacy: An error or flaw in reasoning
 False Cause
Fallacy
• Presuming a (real or perceived)
correlation between phenomena means
that one causes the other
• Correlation does not mean causation

 Appeal to
Probability Fallacy
• “possibly, therefore probably”
• the fallacy of taking something to be the
case because it is probable or might
possibly be the case

The Fallacy Fallacy

• Assuming that because a claim that is

made has fallacies, that it is wrong
 Identify the statement with its fallacy

• "Just because the weather forecast predicts rain, it doesn't mean it will rain. Therefore, we
shouldn't bother carrying umbrellas."
• "The rise in smartphone usage directly correlates with the increase in crime rates. Therefore,
smartphones are causing more crime."
• "You claim that vaccination has been proven effective, but that's just a appeal to probability
fallacy. Just because its possible that they are effective doesn't mean they are actually effective."

 Identify the statement with its fallacy

• "Just because the weather forecast predicts rain, it doesn't mean it will rain. Therefore, we
shouldn't bother carrying umbrellas." (Appeal to probability fallacy)
• "The rise in smartphone usage directly correlates with the increase in crime rates. Therefore,
smartphones are causing more crime." (False cause fallacy)
• "You claim that vaccination has been proven effective, but that's just a appeal to probability
fallacy. Just because its possible that they are effective doesn't mean they are actually
effective." (Fallacy fallacy)

“The Internet was

bound to be invented”

• Was the Internet inevitable?

 Logical Fallacy:
Appeal to Nature
• Making the argument that a claim is
correct through an appeal to it being
“natural”, therefore valid, justi ed, good,
or ideal.
• Example:

X is natural. Therefore, X is good.






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 History of the Internet

In the scenario you have been assigned: E. What were direct consequences (if known)
this technology brought about in society?
A. What is the innovation you are examining?
B. What’s the context in which this
development is happening?
C. Which type of people, groups, or
institutions is behind this innovation?
D. What is the motivation? Or, what is
motivating to sustain this initiative?

 Learning Objectives

1. Technological Determinism
2. Social Determination of Technology

1. Technological Determinism
Technological Determinism

Society Technology

Critiques of Technological Determinism?

2. Social Determination of Technology
 Social Determination of Technology

• Society shapes technology

Society Technology
Was the adoption of
the gun inevitable?
 Spectrum of Ideas about Society and
Technology
Hard Social Determination of
Hard Technological Determinism
Technology

Places full autonomy to

Society unilaterally shapes
technology in determining
technology
society

Society Technology Society Technology

 Spectrum of Ideas about Society and
Technology
Co-Production
Hard Social Determination of
Hard Technological Determinism (soft technological determinism
Technology
+ soft social determination)

Places full autonomy to Society and tech are mutually Society unilaterally shapes
technology in determining
society constituted in complex ways technology

Society Technology Society Technology Society Technology