Ellul’s 76 Reasonable Questions to Ask About Any Technology

I envy anyone who has not read Jacques Ellul.  He is difficult, provocative, insightful and in my opinion a highly relevant philosopher.  His book, “The Technological Society” is a great starting place.  The post below is from an Ellul site.  

It is interesting to speculate how books fit into into his scheme.


76 Reasonable Questions

to ask about any technology

by Jacques Ellul



Does it preserve or destroy biodiversity? 

Does it preserve or reduce ecosystem integrity? 

What are its effects on the land? 

What are its effects on wildlife? 

How much, and what kind of waste does it generate? 

Does it incorporate the principles of ecological design? 

Does it break the bond of renewal between humans and nature? 

Does it preserve or reduce cultural diversity? 




Does it serve community? 

Does it empower community members? 

How does it affect our perception of our needs? 


What are its effects on relationships? 

Does it undermine conviviality? 

Does it undermine traditional forms of community? 


Does it foster a diversity of forms of knowledge? 


Does it serve to commodity knowledge or relationships? 

To what extent does it redefine reality? 

Does it erase a sense of time and history? 

What is its potential to become addictive? 


What does it make? 

Who does it benefit? 

What is its purpose? 

Where was it produced? 

Where is it used? 

Where must it go when it’s broken or obsolete? 

How expensive is it? 

Can it be repaired? 

By an ordinary person? 


What values does its use foster? 

What is gained by its use? 

What are its effects beyond its utility to the individual? 

What is lost in using it? 

What are its effects on the least advantaged in society? 


How complicated is it? 

What does it allow us to ignore? 

To what extent does it distance agent from effect? 

Can we assume personal, or communal responsibility for its effects? 

Can its effects be directly apprehended? 

What ancillary technologies does it require? 

What behavior might it make possible in the future? 

What other technologies might it make possible? 



What is its impact on craft? 

Does it reduce, deaden, or enhance human creativity? 

Is it the least imposing technology available for the task? 


Can it be responsive to organic circumstance? 

Does it depress or enhance the quality of goods? 

Does it depress or enhance the meaning of work? 


What aspect of the inner self does it reflect? 

Does it express love? 

Does it express rage? 

What aspect of our past does it reflect? 

Does it reflect cyclical or linear thinking? 


Does it concentrate or equalize power? 

Does it require, or institute a knowledge elite? 

It is totalitarian? 

Does it require a bureaucracy for its perpetuation? 

What legal empowerments does it require? 

Does it undermine traditional moral authority? 

Does it require military defense? 

Does it enhance, or serve military purposes? 

How does it affect warfare? 

Is it massifying? 

Is it consistent with the creation of a global economy? 

Does it empower transnational corporations? 

What kind of capital does it require? 


Is it ugly? 

Does it cause ugliness? 

What noise does it make? 

What pace does it set? 











5 thoughts on “Ellul’s 76 Reasonable Questions to Ask About Any Technology

  1. non-metaphysical stephen

    I recall reading Ellul discuss the ways literacy wasn’t in itself a good thing, because what mattered more were what books were available and/or promoted for reading. And he certainly knew the passage from Ecclesiastes about the endless making of books. So I think he’d say that books need to be treated as carefully as other technologies.

  2. Jeff Peachey Post author

    You are probably right. I think it was in his “Propaganda” book that he claims intellectuals, and those who are continually exposed to second hand information much more susceptible to propaganda than those who don’t read as much. But he also states he doesn’t use footnotes because, to paraphrase, books are meant to be read, not cited.

    I’m unfamiliar with the Ecclesiastes passage you refer to- do you have the chapter and verse? Thanks.

  3. kevin

    Ecclesiastes 12:12

  4. Pingback: Why Our Tech Talk Needs A Values Talk | tint

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