Throughout their entire existence, humans have used their outstanding intellect to enhance their chance of survival and dominate their competitors. Consequently, the development and use of tools have become the apotheosis of human achievement, ultimately integrating them as a vital aspect of our daily life. But while there is a major consensus that modern technology will excel the quality of the world of tomorrow, others have begun to inquire if the potential of these advances make the world a better place as they promise. In his essay, “Auscultation”, Steven Church implements his varied package of writing styles to impart an aberrant view of the changing world. Within four sections that parallel the structure of a human heart, “Auscultation” …show more content…
He first introduces the stethoscope and its importance through a text of imagery, contending that “when it touches you, it sings sounds of your body, noises you can barely imagine – the hypnotic pump of organs, the soft ebb and flow of lungs at work – noises that can name you normal, healthy, or not. The intimate instrument – the stethoscope – knows your body in a way your own hands and ears never can” (73). Contradictory to the idea that the application of technology can be harmful to the world, Church begins to establish the great advantage that instruments, such as the stethoscope, can offer. With a stethoscope, doctors can effectively apply the process of auscultation, consequently improving medical procedures and saving the lives of several patients. But while it may appear that Church’s approach is conflicting, the stethoscope actually diverts from complete automation. In truth, the role of a stethoscope fundamentally extends a doctor’s ability to hear. Inventions such as the stethoscope cannot function on their own; they need the intellect and skill of a doctor to be whole (Church 91). In such cases, the stethoscope undeniably provides more advantages in listening, since sounds have profound meanings behind. And with a human mind to interpret these hidden meanings, it further stressed the importance of maintaining a balance of technology and human senses. Furthermore, to corroborate this idea, Church provides an example of a defining moment of his life. During his wife’s first pregnancy, Church delineates his first emotional encounter with his fetal child as he listens through an electronic stethoscope strapped to his wife’s. “Nothing promises person like these first heart sounds…But I know that in many ways I did not identify myself as a father until I heard my child’s heart, and that I couldn’t have heard this without the aid of a