--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Technology is basically neutral. It's…" description: "\"Technology is basically neutral. It's kind of like a hammer. The hammer doesn't care whether you use it to build a house, or whether a torturer uses it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/noam-chomsky-42_care_technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kin_832068.jpg" --- # Technology is basically neutral. It's kind of like a… ![“Technology is basically neutral. It's kind of like a hammer. The hammer doesn't care whether you use it to build a house, or whether a torturer uses it to crush somebody's skull.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/noam-chomsky-42_care_technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kin_832068.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/noam-chomsky-42_care_technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kin_832068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/noam-chomsky-42_care_technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kin_832068.jpg) > “Technology is basically neutral. It's kind of like a hammer. The hammer doesn't care whether you use it to build a house, or whether a torturer uses it to crush somebody's skull.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Technology itself has no moral value; its impact depends on how people use it. **In simple terms:** Tools are neutral; users decide their morality. Key Takeaway Use technology responsibly and ethically. Themes technology neutrality ethics Mood cautious thoughtful critical Type ethical analytical When to use this quote - policy making - education - software development - media literacy Key Concepts moral agency design responsibility social impact Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can prevent harmful uses? - How do we hold users accountable? A Different Perspective Powerful tools can be misused despite neutral design. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Crush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crush/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to be a slave to electronic devices. I don't want to be connected to my friends. I don't want to send…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-slave-to-electronic-devices-i-don-t-want-to-be/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [Technology is usually fairly neutral. It’s like a hammer, which can be used to build a house or to destroy someone’s home. The hammer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/technology-is-usually-fairly-neutral-it-s-like-a-hammer-which-can-be/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hammer-that-is-to-say-it-is/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“For once, I felt everything. And the biggest thing I felt was the way I felt about you. That was like a hammer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/for-once-i-felt-everything-and-the-biggest-thing-i-felt-was-the-way-i/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [“Silence fell like a hammer made of feathers. It left holes in the shape of the sound of the sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/silence-fell-like-a-hammer-made-of-feathers-it-left-holes-in-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Grief was like that. It gradually faded into a dull ache, until some simple sight or sound or scent hit him like a hammer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cinda-williams-chima/grief-was-like-that-it-gradually-faded-into-a-dull-ache-until-some/) [Cinda Williams Chima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cinda-williams-chima/) > [“My fingers darted, then danced, then flew. I played hard as a hailstorm, like a hammer beating brass. I played soft as sun on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/my-fingers-darted-then-danced-then-flew-i-played-hard-as-a-hailstorm/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't like gadgets for their own sake. I like gadgets that are tools. And I like simple gadgets that do one thing really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-corddry/i-don-t-like-gadgets-for-their-own-sake-i-like-gadgets-that-are-tools/) [Rob Corddry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-corddry/) > [“Love is like a hammer, inevitably it will crush you & cause severe pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-helmick/love-is-like-a-hammer-inevitably-it-will-crush-you-cause-severe-pain/) Alison Helmick > [The music takes you. It has to be alive. It's like you hammer something, and the way it happens to bleed leads you into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gira/the-music-takes-you-it-has-to-be-alive-it-s-like-you-hammer-something/) [Michael Gira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gira/) > [Just because you've got a mind like a hammer doesn't mean you have to treat everyone else like a nail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/just-because-you-ve-got-a-mind-like-a-hammer-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Her words were like the hammer. My stance was of a nail. I didn't need those callous words on my once strong shell. Hammered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-perdu/her-words-were-like-the-hammer-my-stance-was-of-a-nail-i-didn-t-need/) [Antonia Perdu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-perdu/) > [“What do you want me to call them? Shits and Giggles? Fists and Kneecap? Nah, I don't like that one. Hammer and Nails? Dude,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/what-do-you-want-me-to-call-them-shits-and-giggles-fists-and-kneecap/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [Personally, I think government is a tool, like a hammer. You can use a hammer to build or you can use a hammer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/personally-i-think-government-is-a-tool-like-a-hammer-you-can-use-a/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [“The Truth burns the heart like a hammer breaking a rock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-truth-burns-the-heart-like-a-hammer-breaking-a-rock/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Technology is basically neutral. It's kind of like a hammer. The hammer doesn't care whether you use it to build a house, or whether a torturer uses it to crush somebody's skull.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kind-of-like-a-hammer-the-hammer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Care" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kind-of-like-a-hammer-the-hammer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/noam-chomsky-42_care_technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kin_832068.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/noam-chomsky-42_care_technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kin_832068.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/noam-chomsky-42_care_technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kin_832068.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Technology is basically neutral. It's kind of like a hammer. The hammer doesn't care whether you use it to…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Noam Chomsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Technology is basically neutral. It's kind...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kind-of-like-a-hammer-the-hammer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kind-of-like-a-hammer-the-hammer/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```