Not to worry, however, because as we are told by its enthusiasts that technology means progress, that unquestionably it is bringing about a far more improved, better world than we could have hoped for or imagined. In countless ways we are the beneficiaries of technology, but as beneficiaries we are also dependent on it. As a result it has acquired enormous power over our lives. The idea that technology is entirely instrumental and is extrinsic to humankind's nature goes back at least to Aristotle, and it is still widely held. This is how many of us persist in regarding the technology we use every day.
Technology is meant to enhance our life in a tangible, efficient way.
Technology in itself cannot satisfy us, for it is only a means to an end, which, for Aristotle, is the attaining of wisdom. Aristotle understood that technology helps us provide for our immediate needs such as food, clothing, and shelter and in so doing allows us more time to apply to other pursuits. Technology also serves non-utilitarian functions, such as the making of musical instruments or ornamentation for our buildings. Such happiness, or perfection, is reached not by what we make but by contemplation and by pursuit of moral, intellectual, and political wisdom. Today Aristotle's view is considered obsolete.