Melvin Kranzberg’s fifth law of technology states that “all history is relevant, but the history of technology is the most relevant.” At first this statement might seem as though there must some sort of bias behind it. To simply label all other fields of history except technological history as inferior with one heavy sentence seems ridiculous. But upon further dissection, one begins to see the truth in this loaded statement.
Kranzberg’s fifth law does not outright say that history not pertaining to technology is unimportant, it still acknowledges the importance of other areas, but it does emphasize the area of technological history above all others. Some may disagree with this statement, but I happen to agree and can see where Kranzberg is coming from. Human history can be looked at as the events that have transpired since humans have been on earth, but in terms of what has made humans the way they are today and shaped society, technology is easily the most important factor to consider. The way humans interact with one another and create history is important, but the driving force that pushes mankind forward collectively as a society is advancement in technology. The first Homo sapiens to walk the earth did not survive by settling with what the earth gave them. They were capable of thinking and reasoning and innovating effective survival tactics. The timeline of the human race can be organized chronologically by each era’s contributions to furthering the longevity of humanity through their respective advancements in technology. We have progressed so far that survival is no longer at the forefront of our priorities, as it is for nearly every other form of life on earth. Now we can focus on making technological leaps once thought impossible, like populating Mars or perfecting artificial intelligence. Human history not only revolves around technology, it is made possible by it.
The idea of technological history being the most relevant type of history can tie into Kranzberg’s second law of technology, which states, “Invention is the mother of necessity.” New inventions and innovations spur on the need to invent more technology to solve whatever complications may arise from them. One example of this is the invention of cell phones. Cell phones, when first introduced, were a major milestone in technology, allowing people to communicate with others no matter where they were. One problem with them was that they would easily break if dropped, creating a need for the invention of a phone case to protect it. Along with this, people did not simply invent cell phones and settle with the very first prototype ever made. The invention of the cell phone created competition between companies to innovate and expand on the idea. This is the reason we’ve ended up with extremely advanced handsets like iPhones and other “smartphones” as they are categorized today. As such prominent part of our current everyday culture, cell phones serve as a prime example of how technological advances throughout history are the most relevant and influential.
Though human history can be conveyed or examined through many different lenses, when looking at it through the technological perspective, one can find a cohesive correlation to advances in technology, and the shape of historical events along the timeline. History can be best seen when put into the technological context of the period in question, making the history of technology the most relevant.