The first argument that John McDermott discusses is “the destruction of the gap in political culture between the mass of the population and that of the ruling classes” (McDermott 85).  His first point is that the invention of the printing press as well as Christianity encouraged growth of popular literacy (85).  He also says that “the expansion and improvement of roads and postal systems, the spread of new tools and techniques, the growth in the number and variety of merchants” the social life of the lower classes became very similar to that of the ruling class (85).  The lower classes also started to take on some of the jobs of the upper classes such as law and government (85).  By getting involved in these jobs and this part of society, the lower classes were able to experience a “rich variety of social experiences analogous to those of the governing classes” (86).  The lower classes also used the doctrines of Thomas Paine and Richard Price that defined the “rights of higher orders” and used them as their base to define their demands (86).

    Here, McDermott is arguing against Emmanuel Mesthene’s idea that technology causes the breakdown in the division between classes, and has potential contributions to society and democracy (86). McDermott feels that these ideals that Mesthene feels are good for democracy “contributes instead to the erosion of that same democratic ethos” (86).

    I find that I can take sides of both of these authors in this argument.  On one hand, I agree with Mesthene that it is good that technology is drawing the social classes together.  Technology also is the source for many solutions to modern problems.  If there were no technology, I would be chiseling this argument on a rock in a cave somewhere.  I also feel that technology is going to continually grow and become more advanced.  This is the point at which I join John McDermott’s side of the argument.  Although technology is very important and solves many problems, I think that technology will be the cause of many problems in the future.  Technology is becoming so advanced that almost anything is possible (i.e. Cloning, Computerized jobs, etc.).  I am not sure that I would want a computer or a machine taking a job from me.  The argument that technology causes the breakdown of society used by McDermott leads into his other arguments (86).

McDermott, John.  "Technology:  The Opiate of the Intellectuals."  Ed.  Albert H.  Teich.               New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1997.