Henry Ford and Karl Benz, Mass Murderers

[MmmFiber]

Karl Benz created the first production automobile and Henry Ford popularized the automobile in the 20th century.

Over 3 million people have died in the US from motor vehicles since 1900. Source [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year]

This was obviously an unintended consequence. Henry Ford didn't muse to himself, "I wonder how I can kill millions of people over the next century..." And, we have benefited greatly from the mobility granted by the automobile. It is the same with Nuclear Fission.

How should we view unintended consequences or negative aspects of great inventions/innovations?

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

You could just as easily say it's the alcohol producers fault for people getting drunk and driving in said cars, or that it's the mechanic's fault for not calling up each of their customers and telling them their brakes need changed.

It's how things are used and misused, not the product itself that determines the fate of people. An object exerts no will upon the world, and only moves in accordance to the will of another.

 

[Chimichanga]

What, would you rather be limited only to either walking or taking a horse-drawn buggy to work or school?

And assuming you don't work from home like some sort of shut-in and it is several if not >20 miles away, do you really want to spend an entire day or two's worth of trekking when it could have taken only 20 minutes?

The problem is not the inventors, but with people's inability to rationally and responsibly handle the technology.

The world you live in would be so much worse if you didn't have the mobility the automobile's invention brought.

 

[RagTagBand]

"How should we view unintended consequences or negative aspects of great inventions/innovations?"

As unintended but unavoidable consequences. Go figure.

 

[halfeclipse]

Grog Bedrock, Caveman, discoverer of large rock, MASS MURDERER!

 

[GrandmaFunk]

it's never that simple

how many millions of lives have been saved because emergency services have been able to respond within minutes rather than hours?

imagine our world limited to horse-drawn fire engines and ambulances.

 

[SweetLiquidSnake]

Cars don't kill people, shitty drivers kill people

 

[Rayne870]

The statistics of childbirth in a hospital are even more frightening, 100% of people born in a hospital will die.

But that's not the point. The point is yes nearly all technical innovations and inventions will better our lives as well as possibly be involved in horrific accidents. But accidents are accidents, life isn't really safe or guaranteed, and t he best we can do is innovate more to minimize those accidents. In the case of your cars, seat-belts, air bags and advances in vehicle materials.

 

[monkey_man]

Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Just because we've made tools to aid in destruction, doe not mean the tools are evil. So cars aren't evil, it's the people who endanger each other on the roads who are evil.
This applies to everything. If a refrigerator breaks down and falls on your head and kills you, is the refrigerator evil? It's an unintended side effect caused by misuse of the product, and a clear example why you should be very careful around refrigerators.

[small]I have my eye on you Mr Freezy.... so watch your backside... [/small]

 

[Scarim Coral]

How can they be hold accountable for something they weren't even unaware of during their lifetime? Their only concern for to create a new transport that was faster and convient for us to use in our daily lives.
If they didn't invented a car, someone else would of created the car instead and they too would of gotten the blame today.

OT- You can't blame the creator for creating something they're unaware of the consequences (unless they did know the consequences like they make weapons of mass destruction) of the invention or having the lack of foresight.
The real blame goes to the person him/ herself, using it for either lack of control/ training or something wrong with it in the fist place (which would be the maker fault or just unforeseen accident).

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Um... you could say the same about... well, just about anything.
Maybe one day someone will invent a cure to cancer, but some people might be allergic to it and die.

THAT PERSON IS A MONSTER!
-_-

Also, you answered your own question.
These things should be viewed unintentionally because they are.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

*KLAXON*


Thomas Midgely Junior.