In his article "Do Artefacts have Politics?", Langdon Winner argues, that every technology is political.
Winner distinguishes between authoritarian and democratic technologies. What does he mean by that?

Question

In his article "Do Artefacts have Politics?", Langdon Winner argues, that every technology is political. 
 Winner distinguishes between authoritarian and democratic technologies. What does he mean by that?

Answer

Authoritarian technologies require authoritarian structures in society. They increase inequality and domination. Democratic technologies force democratic structures on a society.

Answer

Authoritarian technologies are technologies that function best under authoritarian control, while democratic technologies allow better in decentralized, participatory systems (bottom up).

Answer

Authoritarian technologies are produced by authoritarian countries (e.g. for surveillance), while democratic technologies are produced by democratic countries (e.g. for information).

Answer

Authoritarian technologies tell users what to do. Democratic technologies allow them to do what they want.

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In his article "Do Artefacts have Politics?", Langdon Winner argues, that every ...

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