Innovation: A Symptom of Moral Flux

In How to Give Up the I-Word, Vinsel discusses several symptoms of the events that precipitated the rise of the term “Innovation.”  One  of these is the death of the term “progress” as a common descriptor and goal of American society.  He describes “innovation” as a term that, while capturing the ideal of a “better” future in the same way as progress, left out its implications of “social justice.”  It has as its primary goal the advancement of technology, not any sociological imperative or driving force towards a humanitarian greater good.

American society is based upon Christian morality.  Our “one nation, under God” was formed under conditions inextricably linked to Christianity; the European nations that spawned the USA were adherents to Christian faith, and their views bled over into not only our laws, but also our general sense of ethics.  For many years, Christian views on social issues such as homosexual relationships and abortion took precedence over a sense of social justice towards all.  Only recently have such views been subverted by a wave of progressivism that swept aside the “old morals” and ushered in an era of legal and moral acceptance towards all views on such issues.

When asked by Professor Vinsel a few weeks ago in a class discussion, many of the students in our section indicated a strong leaning towards moral relativism.  So not only have conservative views on traditional morality been subverted by modern society’s sense of social justice, but our generation seems to be ready to discard even this modified ethical code in favor of a more individualistic approach.  Could the term “Innovation” be just another symptom of this era’s changing morality?

Innovation has a connotation of gain through technological improvement, but says nothing about the morality of that improvement; the classic concern that “just because we can, doesn’t mean we should” seems to have fallen by the wayside in favor of the more tangible gains wrought by technology.  As technology increasingly invades every corner of our lives, people seem unconcerned by any moral implications, such as increasing inequality, ready to dismiss such concerns as byproducts of little import.  In many people’s minds, innovation seems to trump morality.

Should we be concerned with this shift of priorities? Perhaps the old ways were too cumbersome, too outdated for our fast-paced new society.  Maybe our age has been so enlightened by technological improvement that we no longer need to shackle ourselves in morality’s bonds.  Yet the question must be asked: is this the truth, or are people allowing themselves to be deluded by large interest groups that lobby, advertise, and convince the population that using their products is more important than any other consideration.  An argument can be made from either position, but the question is one worth consideration, as it concerns nothing less than the direction and future of our society.  Values are the cornerstone of a society, driving its development, choosing its path.  People must consider these difficult questions and maintain control of their society in order to guide it down a path acceptable to all.