Popkova N.V. The Role of Technology in Ancient Culture

Abstract: The article features attitudes to technology which were typical for ancient culture. It is shown that though the ancient civilization laid the foundation of many innovations in science, art and other areas of human life, technological progress was not encouraged and the level of technological development did not differ from previous ancient civilisations. In her research Popkova analyzes why famous ancient innovations were not used and thus were forgotten. The author also studies worldview principles of the ancient culture related to technology and explaining the reasons of insufficient attention to technological development and implementation of innovations. The basic methods of research used by the author include problematization, analogy, methodological schematization, rationalisation and articulation of implicit representations. The author considers the basic provisions and sayings of ancient philosophers on technology. Based on the example of ancient views on the person and his place in the Universe, the author of the article demonstrates the incompatiblity of the worldview dominating in that period with active technical transformation of natural processes . The reason why the ancient genius passed by the technical progress was the divination of the Universe and the natural order of things, as well as viewing human as the particle of the Universe but not an independent creature. Dependence of human life on universal laws which was the main principle of the ancient worldview, did not approve attempts to change natural processes and focused on perfection of the private world of human instead of external conditions of his life. The practical importance of such research is caused by the fact that the author searches new ways for modern mankind to overcome the crisis of the industrial civilisation. New world outlook principles, change in the attitude of people to themselves and to the world should precede practical implementation of harmless methods of economic management (which is hindered by the inertia of industrial hedonistic rationality). 

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