Abstract

The paper focuses on two terms of “technics” and “technology” used in the Lithuanian language, which both correspond to “technology” in the English language. Explanatory dictionaries and encyclopaedias provide rather different meanings of the words “technics” and “technology”; however, they tend to be used as synonyms. Thus, it is concluded that though the meanings of these words are closely related, it can be argued that “technology” is the same “technics” only used in a more scientific way. The paper poses a question what the terms “technics” and “technology” mean in actual fact, and why they are related to such words as instrument, apparatus, machine, mechanism, factory, industry, etc., in social, political, cultural, philosophical and even everyday discourses. With the rapid development of modern electronic communication means, this question becomes truly fundamental because this means allows emerging of local communities that use their own specific language and develop a certain linguistic culture. Moreover, the terms of “technics” and “technology” seem to acquire symbolic power, and this brings up new questions related to the impact of the word and sign on human thinking and feelings. On the basis of insights of neuroscience and analytical philosophy, it is maintained that extremely frequent usage of the mentioned terms may trigger irreversible changes in the structures of the human brain, which in turn may lead to the change of the human essence.