Intellectual Technology Analysis in The Shallows

All technologies, Carr argues, were invented to amplify certain human abilities. In The Shallows, Carr coins the term intellectual technology to refer to the subset of technologies that enhance mental skills. Examples of intellectual technologies include writing, the map, the clock, the book, and the Internet.

Intellectual Technology Quotes in The Shallows

The The Shallows quotes below are all either spoken by Intellectual Technology or refer to Intellectual Technology. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

Although the use of any kind of tool can influence our thoughts and perspectives––the plow changed the outlook of the farmer, the microscope opened new worlds of mental exploration for the scientist––it is our intellectual technologies that have the greatest and most lasting power over what and how we think.

Page Number and Citation: 45

Explanation and Analysis:

Here Carr is building on his theory about human tools. In this chapter, Carr explains that each tool is used to extend a certain type of human ability. As it does so, that tool not only enhances our sphere of available action, but it also deeply influences the way we think. The plow, a tool which extends physical strength, changed the outlook of the farmer because it allowed him to conquer vast swaths of land. The microscope, which amplified our sensible range, opened up new worlds for the scientist because we now could have a look at what previously was Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Vo

Sometimes our tools do what we tell them to do. Other times, we adapt ourselves to our tools’ requirements.

Page Number and Citation: 47

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote boils down Carr’s take on the “determinist” and “instrumentalist” views of technology. Where determinists believe that technology is progressing nearly autonomously and is not under man’s control, the instrumentalists assure technology users that these tools are neutral, nothing more than instruments we use to satisfy our subjective and personal wills. When Carr writes, “sometimes our tools do what we tell them to do,” he is making a nod to the instrumentalists by agreeing that in many cases tools are exactly that––tools, and nothing more. However, he is not convinced that we really have the level of control over Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusanti

The written word liberated knowledge from the bounds of individual memory and freed language from the rhythmical and formulaic structures required to support memorization and recitation. It opened to the mind broad new frontiers of thought and expression.

Page Number and Citation: 57

Explanation and Analysis:

In the second half of this chapter Carr has explained how the intellectual technology of writing aided the development and enriching of humanity’s identity. In our purely oral culture we were prevented from making larger and deeper connections about life due to the effort required to remember knowledge. As Carr points out, writing lifted memory from the bonds of the personal, and paved the way for a new richness of identity due to the possibility of a deeper interior life. Writing, in this way, is an intellectual technology that undoubtedly marked progress for mankind because writing made possible new levels Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut.

When we extend some part of ourselves artificially, we also distance ourselves from the amplified part and its natural functions.

Related Characters: Marshall McLuhan

Page Number and Citation: 210

Explanation and Analysis:

In The Shallows, Carr has put forth the argument that all technology is an extension of a natural ability. Intellectual technology––like the Net––marks the extension of our mental powers. The problem is that humans meld so easily with their tools. By assuming technology’s power, we alienate ourselves from the “part” of ourselves we have enhanced. As Marshall McLuhan stated, we end up “numbing” the part of ourselves we sought out to amplify. Carr’s worry, here, is that artificial extension of the brain through the Net may in fact be setting us back. The risk being: the more powerful our programming, Dolorem et quae. Exercitatione

Intellectual Technology Term Timeline in The Shallows

The timeline below shows where the term Intellectual Technology appears in The Shallows. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Carr places the map and the clock into a category of technology he terms intellectual technology . All technology, Carr argues, was created to expand and extend aspects of humanity. Intellectual... (full context)

Efficiency, Speed, and Relevance Theme Icon

Value, Depth, and Intelligence Theme Icon

Carr turns his attention here to the history of writing, or the original intellectual technology . The Sumerians were the first to use a writing medium, etching cuneiform into clay... (full context)

...the ground, digital readers are making improvements in an attempt to compete with the old-fashioned intellectual technology of books. New high-resolution screens have reduced eye strain and features like the ability to... (full context)

The public’s reaction to ELIZA brought Weizenbaum to contemplate the fascinating question of why the intellectual technology of computers has made the idea of man as a machine so much more plausible.... (full context)

...internal navigational skills. Carr is not being dramatic but rather advising that, for each new intellectual technology , users make an honest investigation of what skills are being sensitized and what skills... (full context)

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Intellectual Technology Term Timeline in The Shallows