Introduction: Ellul returns
Many nineteenth century thinkers, convinced of the Enlightenment premise that both nature and society were intelligible, and carried away by the growing prestige of the sciences, saw progress as a natural human development and believed that rational criteria guided societal choices. Biological evolution also appeared to provide a model for change applicable to history. An associated triumphalism in modernity dominated European popular culture until the outbreak of World War I and the post-war rise of dictatorial regimes. Yet even then a positive view of science remained largely intact. Even after World War II, the Shoah, saturation bombings of civilians, and the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the industrialization of science proceeded at an ever faster pace, assisted by an increasing involvement of state power. The United States science adviser Vannevar Bush (1945) went so far as to present post-World War II science as an “endless frontier” and font of social benefits in healthcare, economic development, and military defense.
Terrorism in the Website: Society 4.0 and Fundamentalism in Scrutiny
Without﻿any﻿doubt,﻿terrorism﻿causes﻿higher﻿levels﻿of﻿anxiety﻿and﻿very﻿well﻿enhances﻿our﻿fears﻿as﻿ never﻿before.﻿The﻿post﻿9/11﻿context﻿witnesses﻿the﻿multiplication﻿of﻿xenophobic﻿expressions,﻿such﻿ as﻿Islamophobia﻿or﻿tourist-phobia,﻿only﻿to﻿name﻿a﻿few.﻿These﻿expressions﻿result﻿from﻿a﻿culture﻿of﻿ intolerance,﻿ which﻿ not﻿ only﻿ was﻿ enrooted﻿ in﻿ the﻿ ideological﻿ core﻿ of﻿ western﻿ capitalism﻿ but﻿ was﻿ accelerated﻿just﻿after﻿9/11.﻿Some﻿voices﻿emphasize﻿the﻿needs﻿of﻿employing﻿technology﻿to﻿make﻿this﻿ world﻿a﻿safer﻿place.﻿This﻿chapter﻿goes﻿in﻿a﻿contradictory﻿direction.﻿The﻿authors﻿focus﻿on﻿the﻿ethical﻿ limitations﻿of﻿technologies﻿when﻿they﻿are﻿subordinated﻿to﻿the﻿ideals﻿of﻿zero-risk﻿society.﻿Echoing﻿ Sunstein﻿and﻿Altheide,﻿ the﻿authors﻿hold﻿the﻿thesis﻿that﻿ the﻿precautionary﻿principle﻿has﻿invariably﻿ created﻿a﻿paradoxical﻿condition﻿where﻿“the﻿invented﻿fears”﻿transformed﻿in﻿the﻿basic﻿grounds﻿of﻿a﻿ new﻿stage﻿of﻿capitalism. KeyWoRdS 4.0 Society, Digital Tech, Fundamentalism, Terror, Website
Analysis: The Agenda 2007 Proposals: Evolution or Revolution?
On 10 February 2004 the Commission published its proposal for the financial perspective 2007-2013. A week later it adopted the third report on economic and social cohesion. These two documents form the basis of the so-called ‘Agenda 2007 reforms’. They will be the greatest challenge for the enlarged EU after the intergovernmental conference, since they will determine the financial basis for EU policy-making until the middle of the next decade. The Agenda 2007 proposals certainly hint at courageous reforms, because they place a previously unheard-of emphasis on performance and quality. Under the proposals, structural operations should generate value for money, and the funds should focus on projects which generate added value at a European level. Overall the Commission’s proposals point in the right direction, because they balance, on the one hand, solidarity for the new Member States and weak regions in the old Member States with, on the other hand, investments in future tasks. Moreover, they constitute a paradigm shift. For the first time, the Common Agricultural Policy will not be the dominant expenditure category. Now it is up to the Member States to examine the proposals politically and find a compromise between sometimes very divergent interests. It is to be hoped that, during the debate over expenditure limits and division of funds, national interests do not outweigh European interests.