The Technological Fix as Social Cure-All: Origins and Implications

In 1966, a well-connected engineer posed a provocative question: will technology solve all our social problems? He seemed to imply that it would, and soon. Even more contentiously, he hinted that engineers could eventually supplant social scientists - and perhaps even policy-makers, lawmakers, and religious leaders - as the best trouble-shooters and problem-solvers for society 1. The engineer was the Director of Tennessee's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Dr. Alvin Weinberg. As an active networker, essayist, and contributor to government committees on science and technology, he reached wide audiences over the following four decades. Weinberg did not invent the idea of technology as a cure-all, but he gave it a memorable name: the “technological fix.” This article unwraps his package, identifies the origins of its claims and assumptions, and explores the implications for present-day technologists and society. I will argue that, despite its radical tone, Weinberg's message echoed and clarified the views of predecessors and contemporaries, and the expectations of growing audiences. His proselytizing embedded the idea in modern culture as an enduring and seldom-questioned article of faith: technological innovation could confidently resolve any social issue.