Abstract:
Abstract
We are in the age of technology where every human society is forced to think through
the fabrics of modern science and technology. But, is science objective and value
free? Is technology in Ethiopia a logical transformation from the “pre-techne” to
modern world and an internal evolution within cultures, accepted by all culture groups
as an inevitable process? Can modern technology alone sufficiently solve social and
political problems in Ethiopia? How could “foreign technologies” go in line with
IKSs in Ethiopia? These are some of the central questions that are addressed in this
article. The article is a philosophical reflection on the contradictions of harmonizing
modern technology with the different culture traits in Ethiopian context. Qualitative
research method is employed from the critical social theory perspective. It tries to
unhide the undemocratic sides of technology that shackle the development of IKSs
which in turn jeopardize genuine human development in Ethiopia. It is argued that the
technology of the west appears to be value laden in suppressing the epistemologies of
the south; and such value laden-ness of technology results in suppressing human
freedom and genuine human development. The objective of the study is to call for the
culture conscious adoption of technology and democratization of technology towards
Ethiopian IKSs. The mass transfer of technology through education, policy
implementation, and mass media appear to be an imposition and oppression to the
long held IKSsof the indigenous people in Ethiopia, who hardly understand the
language of technology. This in turn creates communication gaps between the
generations (educated and illiterate) in such a way that highly affects the social fabric
of the people. As a recommendation, technology transfer must be backed up by the
culture sensitive mentality of the educated as a representation from the people; for
true wisdom is actualized by the genuine hermeneutic enterprises between the modern
science and IKSs.
