Comparing Henrik Ibsen's Enemy of the People and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five

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Science, Technology and Human Values in Henrik Ibsen's Enemy of the People and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Every day I use technology and science, from the allergy pill I take to my cell phone and my Apple watch, technology is a vital part of my day. Are the human values of integrity, honesty and kindness a part of my everyday life, though? Everyone wants to believe they are a good person, but there are so many things in life that aren't good or positive at all, it is apparent that people-who want to think they are good-do mean things. Some of the worst things are done with some of the best intentions, with the idea that the ends justify the means. Science can improve several things, like one's life expectancy, but can it improve the quality of life? Science without morals to support it can be a dangerous thing. This is seen in several of the works we have read this semester, including Henrik Ibsen's Enemy of the People and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. In Enemy of the People, we see that science and technology are at the mercy of those who hold power, in this case, political power. Dr. Stockmann has discovered, through the use of science, that there is a problem with the economic center of the town-the baths. It is not Dr. Stockmann's use of science that questions the compatibility of science and human values, but his bother, Peter Stockmann's use of technology. Peter is able to control the newspaper, and therefore popular opinion, away from Dr. Stockmann (Act 3). The newspaper is a form of technology that allows news of many events to reach the common person. However, this holds a lot of responsibility with it. Whoever is in charge of what goes in the paper has the ability to shape public opi... ... middle of paper ... ... difficult to include morals in decision-making. It is so much simpler not to think of the consequences of one's actions. However, if everyone were to do this, society would quickly disband. People need to start thinking of their actions as having consequences that affect more than just themselves, and that they must keep this in mind when making decisions. Critical thinking is difficult, and it's not the most pleasant thing, but as Plato has Socrates say in the Apology, "The unexamined life is not worth living" (West & West, 92). Unless we incorporate human values into science and technology, we will be living a life not worth living. Works Cited Lippmann, Walter. The Public Philosophy. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2000. West, Grace S., Thomas West. Texts on Socrates: Plato and Aristophanes. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998.

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