✍ Scribed by Harold Chestnut
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
THE first Industrial Revolution introduced machine power to supplement man's strength or muscle power. The availability of power sources such as the steam engine, the gasoline engine, and the electric motor have made it possible for man to accomplish much more work than he could do without these additional means of power. His ability to provide himself more quickly with food, clothing, shelter, and transportation made it possible to live a life quite different from his previous agrarian or merchantile one. From a medieval society in which there was little effect of one individual on the lives of many others, industrial man moved into a type of urban society in which the jobs of many segments were more intimately affected by the action of many other segments. Many undertakings that took months or years could now be done in hours or weeks.
The second Industrial Revolution, as automation has been called, has introduced automatic control or judgment to supplement man's senses or brain power. The availability of rapid communication means, of automatic devices which measure and actuate, and of computers which perform routine calculations and decisions are making it possible for man to use power more effectively and to perform many lengthy and repetitive mental jobs without requiring much time on his part. Again his ability to provide himself more quickly with food, clothing, shelter, and transportation has increased markedly, and he is now able to live a quite different kind of life than was previously possible. From a relatively inflexible type of mass-production society, modern man has moved to a more dynamic, mobile, changing way of life. The interdependence of one person or segment and the other parts of the society is accompanied by the individual's ability, and sometimes his need, to move quickly and change his environment and job. Many undertakings that took weeks and months can now be done in minutes and hours. All this has been accompanied by improved conditions of health, higher birth rates, and an increased life expectancy.
In view of these changing circumstances brought about by this second Industrial Revolution, it is appropriate that we consider some of the fundamentals about automation and some of the problems that it presents to our society. To enable us to understand these problems, we will also consider what automation is, the basic principles of how automation works, and why it is now possible.
We shall then be better able to assess what should be done about such problems of automation as: (1) how can products and services be automated better, ( 2) for what processes can automation be justified economically, (3) how can our entire society enjoy the benefits of automation, (4) what will become of the people whose jobs are eliminated, (5) how should social and economic laws be modified to enable us to enjoy more fully our increased productivity, and ( 6) to what extent should the benefits of automation be used to make life easier in the countries having extensive automation, and to what extent should they be used to help raise the living conditions of those countries not having automation? These are some of the problems posed by automation.
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