IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2019 - 92

Last Word
Christine Perakslis

f one subscribes to
the bipartite view,
humans are a composite of two distinct,
yet interdependent
components: body (soma) and soul
(psyche and pneuma) [1]. Our colleagues addressed well the impact
of technology on both these material, and immaterial, dimensions of
humans in this issue.
Value-based thinking was addressed well. Authors synthesized
and consolidated multiple sources
into a single extensive collection;
our community is now better prepared to address the vast dimensions of human values during system
design, and to better anticipate the
long-term effects of what we build
[4]. These dimensions spanned brilliantly across the material and immaterial: from the physical, emotional,
psychological, intellectual, interpersonal, societal, physiological realms,
to the spiritual realm.
We celebrate our material humanness with its five sensory inputs, as
analog technologies resurge in the
digital revolution. The human eargate is drawn back to the analog
warmth of vinyl records, with all its
imperfections. Old-school photography revives [2] as raw aesthetics
enchant the human eye-gate. Designers report augmented creativity when
software is shed for paper, thereby
allowing designers to utilize the

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MTS.2019.2934589
Date of publication: 30 August 2019

Bipartite Approaches
Designing and Delivering
Technologies for Body and Soul

human feel-gate (e.g., tactile). Unsurprisingly, companies are increasingly
required to strengthen the physical
of the digital-physical ecosystem
to create consumer value through
material and immaterial human-tohuman touchpoints [3].
Our authors identified risks that
can result in diminished humanity, if
technology is designed or delivered
irresponsibly. We acknowledge; we
must integrate conscientiously the
digital-physical-biological ecosystem
for Health 4.0. We perceive; we can
focus disproportionately on some
human values to the neglect of others. We're cautioned; the dark side
of humanity can materialize when
human talent and drive to advance
technologies are not filtered by
ethics. We recoil at the material
and immaterial consequences to
humans if education is lacking during technological transitions, or if
electrification is limited to a third of a
population. Yet, we were also artfully
guided to address risks by creating
legal guardrails that are flexible and
bendable enough to allow humans
to continue to innovate.

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

Our community addressed much
of what it means to be human, in the
context of complex and converging
processes. With such shared expertise, we can better guard against
inadvertently downgrading the material and the immaterial components
of humans.

Author Information
Christine Perakslis is Associate Professor in the MBA Program, College
of Management, Johnson & Wales
University, Providence, RI. Email:
christine.perakslis@jwu.edu.

References

[1] M.A. Jeeves, From Cells to Souls, and
Beyond: Changing Portraits of Human
Nature. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2004.
[2] "Fujifilm Announces the Return of Black
and White film with the Introduction of NEOPAN 100 ACROS II," FUJIFILMUSA.com, Jun.
10, 2019; https://www.fujifilmusa.com/
press/news/display_news?newsID=881640.
[3] N. Furr and A. Shipilov, "Digital doesn't
have to be disruptive," Harvard Bus. Rev.,
Jul.-Aug. 2019; https://hbr.org/2019/07/
digital-doesnt-have-to-be-disruptive.
[4] T. Winkler and S. Spiekermann-Hoff,
"Twenty years of value sensitive design: a
review of methodological practices in VSD
projects," Springer Link, Aug. 21, 2018; https://
doi.org/10.1007/s10676-018-9476-2.

∕

SEPTEMBER 2019

http://www.FUJIFILMUSA.com https://www.fujifilmusa.com/press/news/display_news?newsID=881640 https://www.fujifilmusa.com/press/news/display_news?newsID=881640 https://hbr.org/2019/07/digital-doesnt-have-to-be-disruptive https://hbr.org/2019/07/digital-doesnt-have-to-be-disruptive

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2019

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