Low technology ( low tech; adjective forms: low-technology, low-tech, lo-tech) is simple technology, as opposed to high technology.
History
Historical origin
Primitive technologies such as
bushcraft, tools that use
wood,
stone,
wool, etc. can be seen as
low-tech, as can pre–Industrial Revolution machines such as
or
.
In the 1970s
The economic boom after the
Vietnam War resulted in a doubt on progress, technology and growth at the beginning of the 70s, notably with through the report
The Limits to Growth (1972). Many have sought to define what soft technologies are, leading to a "low-tech movement". Such technologies have been described as "intermediaries" (E. F. Schumacher),
[.] "liberating" (
Murray Bookchin),
or even
democracy. Thus, a philosophy of advocating a widespread use of soft technologies was developed in the United States, and many studies were carried out in those years, in particular by researchers like
Langdon Winner.
2000s and later
"Low-tech" has been more and more employed in the scientific writings, in particular in the analyzes of the work from some authors of the 1970s: see for example Hirsch ‐ Kreinsen,
the book "High tech, low tech, no tech"
or Gordon.
More recently, the perspective of resource scarcity
In 2014, the French engineer Philippe Bihouix published "L'âge des low tech" (The age of low-techs) where he presents how a European nation like France, with little mineral and energy resources, could become a "low-tech" nation (instead of a "start-up" nation) to better correspond to the sustainable development goals of such nation.
Recently
Numerous new definitions have come to supplement or qualify the term "low-tech", intended to be more precise because they are restricted to a particular characteristic:
-
retro-tech: more oriented toward old but smart inventions (not necessarily useful, durable and accessible), parallels can nevertheless be found with low-tech, because these innovations often are decentralized and simpler technologies (because manufactured by individuals) ".
-
Wild-tech: beyond the high-tech / low-tech opposition, it intends to give "tools to better think these ways of manufacturing which escape any classification".
-
small-tech: opposed to "Big Tech", which includes the GAFAM. It thus referred to digital questions, "in the perspective of maintaining a high level of technological complexity but on the basis of the notions of commons, collaborative work and the principles of democracy and social justice"
-
(s)lowtech, or slow-tech: uses the Word play (s)low / slow. Aims at: "exploring the drawbacks of technology and its effects on human health and development".
-
easy-tech: technology easy to implement, to use, and accessible to all.
-
no-tech: promotes a lifestyle avoiding the use of technology, when possible. It joins some technocriticism writings on the negative and time-consuming aspect of most "modern" technologies.
-
Lo-Tek (or LoTek): name introduced by Julia Watson for her book "The Power of Lo — TEK – A global exploration of nature-based technology".
Definitions
Binary definition
According to the
Cambridge International Dictionary of English, the concept of low-tech is simply defined as a technique that is not recent, or using old
.
Recently: a wider and more balanced approach
second, more nuanced definition of low-tech may appear. This definition takes into account the
philosophy,
eco-friendly and
social aspects. Low-tech are no longer restricted to old techniques, but also extended to new, future-oriented techniques, more
eco-friendly and intended to recreate social bounds. A low-tech innovation is then possible.
Contrary to the first definition, this one is much more optimistic and has a positive connotation. It would then oppose the planned obsolescence of objects (often "high-tech") and question the consumer society, as well as the materialist principles underneath. With this definition, the concept of low-tech thus implies that anyone could make objects using their intelligence, and share their know-how to popularize their creations. A low-tech must therefore be accessible to all, and could therefore help in reduction of inequalities.
Furthermore, some reduce the definition of low-tech to meet basic needs (eating, drinking, housing, heating ...), which disqualifies many technologies from the definition of low-techs, but this definition does not is not always accepted.
Philosophy
In his book
Small is beautiful (1973), Schumacher uses the concept of "intermediate technology",
which corresponds fairly precisely to what "low tech" means. He also founded the Intermediate Technology Development Group, today known as
Practical Action, in 1966.
See also
Sources
- General
External links
