Technology can be defined as “the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment”. (n.d.) Therefore, when we speak of technological evolution we can say that it is an “innovation and technology related hypothesis that describes the fundamental change of society through technical development”. Different theorists have their own perspective on the evolution of technology but, although each of their views differs from another, they shared certain common features, mechanism, and incidence in technology. Some theorists have developed distinct approaches to understanding the nature of the technological process and the relationship between technological development and the social world. This article will compare the point of view of Gerhard Lenski, Leslie White and Alvin Toffler with respect to the evolution of technology.
Gerhard Lenski’s perspective on the evolution of technology
Sociologist Gerhard Lenski maintained that technological process has been the driving force in the evolution of human civilization; focusing on the societal and cultural basics of society. He viewed human society as something of a process of change involving a society’s level of modernization, communication, and scientific advances. In Gerhard Lenski’s point of view, it is a society 's level of technology that is critical for its survival. He viewed that civilization and technological process go hand in hand