Nasr's Lament

Nasr sees modern technology as the major cause of destruction of the environment and as having debilitating effects on the spiritual health of mankind. His solution is to return to a simpler past, a near primitive existence, as dictated by the Koran, where man's handiwork really was 'hand work', and not machine work. This sentimental, idealistic lament is serioulsy flawed. We can't turn back. He seems naively amazed that when technology offers wealth, power, and conveniences, Muslims everywhere want in on the action. To counter their enthusiasum, Nasr points out that the quality of life has gone down, and not up with modern technology and the only way back is to embrace the traditional technologies that still exist (ceramics, carpet weaving, sari sewing and comb making etc.). When i talk to my grandparents or even my parents of a generation ago, it is very clear that life has gotten a whole lot more comfortable - from the clothes we wear to the way we get around to the houses we live in to the food we eat. Of course not all is a bed of roses - clothes as status symbols, impossible traffic ills, tainted food stuffs, environmental degradation - but with all these setbacks we are still living longer and healthier lives due to modern technology. Much like the North American Amish and the aboriginals, who do engage in stratagies to slow down the growth of technologies by limiting its use, Nasr is pleading for Muslims to see the devil in modern technology (which he claims comes mostly from the West) and to rise above their inferiorty complex and embrace the past while limiting their use of modern conveniences. But these stall tactices will eventually give way to the modern world as they gradually reappraise what limited use entails, allowing more and more modern conveniences into their lives. I know of no technology that has not started out as something only for the wealthy and the elite to eventually trickle down and be available to all at affordable cost.

I do agree with his argument that technology is not neutral in its effects on mankind and the world. But simplistic whitewashing of technology as either all bad or all good is not the answer. The bad effects are giving us some pause to think about how we treat the environment and to come up with new, greener solutions. Along these lines i agree with Nasr that modern technology should be more aligned with its environment. There should be a more synergestic approach to the implimentation and use of technology - there are no simple solutions and there should not be a one-technology-fits-all-situations mentality. Nasr's final plea that Muslims gain a better "awarness of what modern technology entails and develop a more discerning attitude toward it", seems like solid advice that we all should abide by.