Technological Evolution

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Technological evolution
Technological evolution is the name of a science and technology studies theory describing technology development, developedby Czech philosopher Radovan Richta.
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Theory of technological evolution
According to Richta, technology (which Richta defines as "a material entitycreated by the application of mental and physical effort to nature in order to achieve some value") evolution has been in three stages: tools, machine, and automation. This evolution, he says,follows two trends: the replacement of physical labour with more efficient mental labour, and the resulting greater degree of control over one's natural environment.
Stages of technological developmentThe pretechnological period, Developed by prehistoric man.
The emergence of technology, made possible by the development of the rational faculty, concreted the way for the first stage: the tool. A toolprovides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task, and must be powered by human or animal effort. This was the first demonstration of technology and by this time people never thoughttechnology would be developed as far as it is nowadays.
Hunter-gatherers developed tools mainly for procuring food. Tools such as a container, spear (lance), arrow (projectile), plow, or hammer thatincreased physical labor to more efficiently achieve his objective. Tools allow people to do things impossible to accomplish with one's body alone such as manipulating heavy objects with a pulley andcart, or carrying volumes of water in a bucket.
The second technological stage was the creation of the machine. A machine (a powered machine to be more precise) is a tool that substitutes the elementof human physical effort, and requires the operator only to control its function. Machines became common with the industrial revolution, though windmills, a type of machine, are much older....