By Dr. Sawraj Singh
In the last two centuries, under capitalism, we have seen only technological progress without any human development. Therefore, it cannot be called true progress. It has actually led to human degeneration. Why do I say that instead of human development, there has been human degeneration? I feel that human relations are a very good indicator of the state of human beings. I was born and raised in India and lived in America for more than forty years. I have asked this question to many people in America and India: what do they feel has happened to human relations in the last fifty years? Most of the people feel that human relations have degenerated in the last fifty years. I have yet to meet a person who feels that human relations have improved.
Many feel that people have become more selfish, greedy, arrogant, extravagant and vengeful. I feel that it is obvious that in spite of big technological advancements, instead of human development, there has been human degeneration. Why has technological progress led to human degeneration? The other question is: is it inevitable that technological progress will lead to human degeneration?
I will try to answer both these questions. It is not technology as such that is responsible for human degeneration. It is capitalism which has abused technology, and that has led to human degeneration. Capitalism has monopolized technology and has used it to exploit, oppress and plunder people. It has also used technology to amass enormous wealth by the capitalist class and has widened the gap between the haves and have-nots. We see an ever-increasing gap between the rich and the poor in each country as well as between the rich and the poor countries.
There are studies which show that inequality of wealth has an adverse affect on people’s physical and mental health. Moreover, as wealth and resources are concentrated in few hands at the top, then the vast majority has to compete for the remaining few resources. As a result of this phenomenon, people have become more insecure, selfish and greedy. Capitalism has also promoted the concept that economics is above ethics. In capitalism, what really matters is success, and how you achieve that becomes a secondary issue. People are encouraged to strive for moving to the top even if they have to step and climb over others.
To maximize its profit and widen its markets, capitalism alienates people from nature, society, family and self. It reduces their existence to mere consumers. In capitalism, the purpose of life becomes to accumulate the largest amount of wealth in minimum time. Moreover, the notion that nothing succeeds like success breeds arrogance. To promote consumerism, capitalism also encourages the tendency of showing off. This makes people extravagant.
The cumulative effect of all these factors leads to human degeneration. However, it is not technology but abuse of technology by capitalists which is responsible for this phenomenon. Technology like everything else is a double edged weapon. In the wrong hands it is harmful but in the right hands it can become useful for people.
To make technology useful for the people we have to promote the concept that ethics are above economics and ethics should come before success. We should not only be concerned about generating wealth but also make sure that distribution of wealth is fair. In such a society technology can serve people instead of serving only the capitalist class. Technological progress then can promote human development instead of hindering it. When technological progress and human development go hand in hand then we can call it a real progress.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
