"Modern technology is more than just a neutral tool: it is the framework of our civilization and shapes our way of life. Social critics claim that we must choose between this way of life and human values. In this thoroughly revised new edition of Critical Theory of Technology, Andrew Feenberg challenges that pessimistic outlook.

This book reexamines the relationships between technology, rationality, and democracy, arguing that the degradation of labor - as well as of many environmental, educational, and political systems - is rooted in the social values that preside over technological development. This new edition of a classic work reflects the growing emphasis of the past ten years on the fields of technological and cultural studies."--BOOK JACKET.