by Reed Daigle

Created on: May 05, 2008

On the Substitution of Order and Security for Justice

Our modern society is dominated by technique. That is to say that the most efficient means of carrying out our endeavors, be they military, economic, political, or judicial, has become the ends. It is not merely the case that we simply use efficient means to carry on the functions of society, but the very means have become sufficient justification for themselves. While we in America still try to convince ourselves, (and I believe perhaps that it is at least admirable that we do so), that we do this or that for such and such idealistic and moral reasons, the fact is that the direction of our society has been on this technological development for well over a century. Indeed, since the onset of the industrial revolution, our ideals of "progress" and modernity have been replaced systematically by an ever more pervasive "technique".

It is quite frustrating to try to grasp the direction of our society and how we can impact it for the sake of social justice. It seems at many times to be a completely futile attempt. Perhaps it is naive even to think that we can any longer have any impact on our society. On a grand scale, perhaps it is in fact futile to try to devise a new political system or doctrine, given that political doctrines have in large part lost any of their usefulness. Morality is seen to stand in the way of "technological advancement". Morality does indeed stand in the way of "technological advancement" if by this term we mean "technique" as described by Jacques Ellul in his social critique, "The Technological Society". "Technological advancement", in this sense, then is not simply new technologies, such as a new computer model, or a cleaner energy source. For these technological advancements can and do help humanity, and can in fact help bring about more equality and justice in society.

This idea of "technique" (the most efficient means) has permeated every area of our lives; and as it is, and indeed has become, more and more integrated in the society on the state level, it has the tendency to affect the entire life of a human. Man is no longer treated on an individual basis, but as "mass man". This technological society that we find ourselves in produces a mass man that can be more easily and efficiently integrated into the mass society. Each person is simply filling his or her role assigned by this technical milieu. It has even reached into the judicial aspect of the state. Laws are made and used for

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