From the Editor – Technology

Dear Readers,

In March of this year, I was invited to be part of a roundtable hosted by the Sanctuary for Living Arts (SOLA) on the topic of “Moral Technology,” just outside Asheville, North Carolina. In our discussions, one of SOLA’s founders Septimbor Lim shared a definition of moral technology as any tool “created with, and contributing to, Truth, Beauty and Goodness, supporting Life and Love.” This is a definition I understand and can use.

Our introductory article is by beloved teacher and researcher Dennis Klocek, called “Machine Ethos.” In this piece, Dennis lays out the fundamental challenge to staying human in an evermore mechanically conceptualized world.

We then offer insights, from early years through adolescence, on how best to support the developing child in relating to technology in healthy and positive ways.

Our third section presents a spectrum of thoughtful and creative descriptions of how technology impacts us as adults, often without realizing it, in our daily lives. From the effects of screen use, to artificial sound, to the beneficial uses of technology that help us be more connected and save the lives of our pets; the unifying message is to be simultaneously critical and grateful for the “machine beings” in our lives.

On a side note, I’m excited that we are increasingly receiving article submissions from our European brothers and sisters, often as reprints from other publications. In this issue, Ralf Tita and Fabian Lochner have graciously shared their work with us from Germany and England, respectively.

As the content for this issue came together, I was interested to see that no author directly addressed the challenge of Artificial Intelligence (AI). For me personally, the topic is so multifaceted and, in a sense, more symptom than cause. Thus, I am happy to offer you the pieces shared in this issue as a foundation for considering all aspects of human application of technology, including AI. If you are interested in reading an anthroposophical perspective on the topic, I would recommend two novels by Mieke Mossmuller, Dutch teacher and author. They are titled Singularity and Post-Humanism (https://miekemosmuller.com/en/about-mieke-mosmuller/)

As you consider the ideas and stories in these pages, and as you engage with technology in the infinite variety of ways we do in our world, I encourage you to remember Septimbor’s criteria: To what extent was this technology created from the True, the Good, the Beautiful? To what extent will I use it to serve Life and Love?

With warmth and gratitude,

Karen