Between carrying out an order and designing a model of society. Role and social position of “technology masters”

This article, in the form of a short essay, aims to discuss the evolution over the centuries of the role and social position of those mastering the technologies of their time. We suggest that the industrial revolution, the rationalization of technical and managerial processes, then the rise of IT, the ascent of cryptocurrencies and finally the emergence of the neo-liberal state have lifted a fringe of these individuals to the top of the social hierarchy. Among the “technology masters”, we distinguish three families: those who remain at the service of the State and the established order, those who have exploited, consciously or not, of the withdrawal of the neoliberal State to offer services and innovations formerly assumed by the public sector, and finally those who have consciously taken advantage of this same withdrawal and the recognition they enjoy in society to propose other models (free software, open source, cryptoanarchism, technical alternatives, etc.).