Compare And Contrast Han And Roman Attitude Towards Technology

873 Words4 Pages

Gisselle Morales
11/30/14
3B
Attitudes towards technology
Technology has a major role in human expansion. Empires all over the world have thrived with technology. Even so, some argue that technology has had negative effects. Others disagree and believe that technology has benefited society. There is a positive attitude towards technology when it has helped not only the people but also contributed to environment aesthetics. The Han had a positive attitude towards technology that is linked with tools and water. On the other hand, the Romans had negative views about technology that was associated with tools and had more positive views about transportation.
Technology that was linked with tools had positive views from the Hans and negative …show more content…

A Han government sponsored history states that Tu Shih, the governor of Nanyang "invented a water-powered blowing-engine for the casting of iron agricultural implements that allowed people to enjoy a great benefit for the little labor" (Doc. 4). The use of the words "enjoy" and "great benefit" imply that the invention had a positive effect and technology was great. In addition to technology affiliated with water, a Han government official requested an establishment of "water conservation offices in each district and [to] staff them with people who are experienced in the ways of water" (Doc. 1). This meant that organizing ways to maintain the advancement of technology was great and highly valued. According to a Roman general who was the water commissioner for the city of Rome, "The abundance of water [was] sufficient not only for the public and private uses and applications but truly even for pleasure" (Doc. 8). This indicates that the effects of technology could lesson the burden of labor and could even allow people to experience more enjoyment. The information provided by most of these documents suggest people using the water for "pleasure" and "enjoyment", but all of the documents are sourced from the government and upper-class and therefore are biased. It would be helpful if there was a document from a lower-class source. Even so, both the Han and the Romans shared similar attitudes when it came to technology that was associated with