Author:

OU on the BBC: A History of Ideas - How has technology changed us?

Updated Friday, 23rd January 2015

How has technology changed us? Melvyn Bragg and four guests discuss this question.

This page was published over five years ago. Please be aware that due to the passage of time, the information provided on this page may be out of date or otherwise inaccurate, and any views or opinions expressed may no longer be relevant. Some technical elements such as audio-visual and interactive media may no longer work. For more detail, see our Archive and Deletion Policy.

About the episode

Archaeologist Matt Pope, the surgeon Gabriel Weston, the technologist Tom Chatfield and the historian Justin Champion.

For the rest of the week Matt, Gabriel, Tom and Justin will take us further into the history of ideas about technology with programmes of their own. Between them they will tell us about Plato and the internet, medieval medicine, tool use in human evolution and the origins of modern science.

This programme is part of a week of programmes looking at the history of ideas around how technology has changed us. Find out more about A History of Ideas.

Some links for you to philosophise over...

Used with permission

Introducing philosophy

Ever wondered what it would be like to study philosophy? This free course, Introducing philosophy, will introduce you to the teaching methods employed and the types of activities and assignments you would be asked to undertake should you wish to study philosophy and the human situation.
Learn moreIntroducing philosophy

Free course

8 hours

Level: 1 Introductory
The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Choose your own philosophy adventure

'Castle, Forest, Island, Sea' is a choose-your-own-adventure interactive that explores key questions in philosophy. Where will your chosen path lead you?
Take part nowChoose your own philosophy adventure

Activity

Level: 1 Introductory
By spo0nman via Flickr under Creative Commons license under Creative-Commons license

Study at the OU: The arts past and present

A broad course that introduces the arts across a range of subject areas, including music, art, English, classics and history
Read moreStudy at the OU: The arts past and present
Copyright: Wilfred Stanley Sussenbach | Dreamstime.com

Exploring Philosophy

Does God exist? Why should I act morally? Can I trust science? Should I obey laws I disagree with? Discover how philosophers have offered radically diverging answers to these and other questions.
Read moreExploring Philosophy