Technology and the Nature of Man: A View from the Humanities. An Occasional Paper on Man/Society/Technology.

The author reflects on the declining appreciation of the humanities in light of the major role which technology plays in our lives today. Three issues related to this problem are identified: what educators should do about the loss of our literary heritage, what values operate in our technological society, and whether faith in man's unconquerable spirit is an adequate source of hope. Answers, or "a little good news," are sought in three 19th-century poems which present solutions to despair and pessimism. The author concludes that technology provides a means of transmitting traditional values, but in formats other than traditional literary style. He finds characteristics of wisdom and rationality in the Graeco-Roman humanist tradition and sees them as being more useful today than private selfish provision. The spirit of Don Quixote's quest illustrates that faith in man's spirit can triumph over despair. (AV)