I was deeply impressed recently by a film clip from the late 19th century. It was part of a program on the development of the new technology of electricity generation in New York city. A ‘war of currents’ had developed between Edison, who was heavily invested in direct current, and Tesla, who wanted to introduce the radical new alternating current. Edison wanted to make AC unpopular by portraying it as dangerous, and so he staged public electrocution of various animals. The clip shown was of an elephant, shackled, being electrocuted apparently between the front leg shackles, going from the source of the smoke generated. Truly an awful image for a modern viewer, but apparently fair entertainment a century ago.
It made me think of how society changes. Back then people were impressed by the taming of nature, and possibly were reassured by demonstrations of mastery. It was a golden age for zoos and circuses. Now we don’t expect the world to cause us problems and are disturbed when it does, with storms or shark attacks, but we also have a kind attitude to nature and want our elephants to roam free and live a good life.
Viewed from this distance, past attitudes seem so strange, yet the minds that held them were the same as ours, just shaped by a different society. Is it all about priority, what is most pressing for our survival, a sort of natural pragmatism? If so, then it’s security, which comes from technology, that allows a society to reconsider its values.