“We are in the midst of a second industrial revolution”. What does this statement mean, and what are likely to be the effects of the revolution?
Every student today knows what is meant by the ‘Industrial Revolution’ and how it was brought about and what its effects were. When we speak of the Industrial Revolution, we mean what took place mainly in England during the course of the last century followed by other Western countries.
The main seed of the Industrial Revolution was the use of the machine instead of manually operated tools. These machines used mainly steam power which was followed later by oil power and electricity. This change in the use of machines brought about very radical changes in the methods of production and commerce. There was mass production and things were produced for a market rather than domestic consumption. Mass production resulted in the factory system with its concomitant changes. The rural set up was almost, if not completely, changed. Agricultural laborer became the factory hand; independent aritsans lost his traditional market. The coming of the Industrial Revolution brought many a social problems in its wake. A major effect was that labor became conscious and got united and, in due course, became a force to reckon with. Today, labor is more powerful than the capitalist. Again with the coming of mass production trade and commerce became complicated and communications got improved.
Something similar is happening today. Especially after the war much water has flowed down the bridge. Efficient and faster modes of communication have, come into existence. To quote examples, there are jet plane, supersonic plane and the radar. The assembly line, though it was brought in at the beginning of the century, has become more streamline and is being adapted in many departments. Pure science has given away to applied science ushering in an era of technology. Computers and electronics have taken over many hard complicated and sensitive jobs from human hands and, for the matter are more perfect, reliable and efficient. Technology has helped in polymer chemistry, physics has helped in rocketry and space travel. So business is being managed scientifically. It is no more a simple question of production, distribution, supply and demand. Psychology is being applied to business problems. In short it is actually a Technological Revolution.
This Revolution has helped man to plant his feet on the moon. More machines do the job means many people would be thrown out of job. There is a genuine fear that the computers, for example, may create unemployment, though they who advocate the computers argue the other way. They say that some such fear was expressed when the railway lines were laid. But it was not so. So it may be with the automatic machines. newer type of jobs will be created; perhaps better qualified men will be called for and that would create more new openings. This would result in lesser working hours and more hours of leisure.
Really that is the crux of the problem. How to provide for the leisure hours of millions. When man ceases to work with hands, there may be organic changes brought about in him, almost amounting to mutation. A number of books have been written about what man would be in 2000 A.D. and many of them include the works by great scientists.
