Document
Attitude Toward Technology
1
Flood prevention needed, a necessity, protecting
Han Gov’t official, duty
the people, utilitarian, benefits the people, positive? as an official/his job,
Indifferent?
keep people happy--Mandate of Heaven,
dynasty might lose
power
Tools made by the workers were better quality than Han Gov’t Official
those made by convict labor for gov’t, tech made by Han has monopoly on
you for you is good, quality not quantity, want
salt and iron
benefit the people, worried about the peasants
His job to make sure
things are running well,
concern that people
aren’t buying salt from
government
Very positive, benefits the people, labor saving,
Han, Upper-class
efficient, progressing/evolving
philosopher, praising a
wise emperor
Save the labor, benefit the common people, positive ? governmentsponsored, Is this
account going to say
something negative
about the gov’t?
2
3
4
Point of View
(POV)
5
6
7
8
Those who create it are vulgar and not gentlemanly, Upper-class, Roman
not civilized, just a job to make $ not a skill
political leader, looks
down on other classes
Technology that was created was nice using words Greek-born, Roman
like “grace, beauty, equal, parallel”
citizen, high official
Oh you fancy
Horses? Who would
ride horses? Also,
talking about a political
leader and he is in the
gov’t
Looking down upon those who create the
Upper-class Roman
technology, not important to higher people
philosopher, advisor to
emperor, look down on
lower classes
How awesome his works are---we’re better than
Roman general,
others (Greece and Egypt), calibrated scales, water governor of Britain,
enough for pleasure, useful
water commissioner!
What would he say
about his own work?
How did Rome feel
about Egypt and
Greece?
Additional Document: lower classes, females, foreigner comparing his technology to
Han or Rome---- but WHY?
Grouping: positive/appreciation vs. negative, concern for people/benefitting people vs.
no concern, labor-saving, benefits upper-class/fancy think horse, water regulation (docs.
1&8), gov’t officials vs. philosopher in each area???, by type of technology???
Necessity/need vs. want/ “fluff”