 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2019) |
Howard P. Segal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Howard Paul Segal July 15, 1948 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 2020 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Franklin and Marshall College (BA) Princeton University (MA, PhD) |
| Subject | History of American technology, utopianism |
| Notable works | Technological Utopianism in American Culture |
| Spouse |
Deborah D. Rogers
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
Howard Paul Segal (July 15, 1948 – November 9, 2020[1][2]) was an American historian who was a professor of history at the University of Maine. Specializing in the history of American technology and American utopianism, he wrote well over 200 articles and authored or edited eight books including Technology and Utopia, Technology, Pessimism, and Post-Modernism (coedited with Yaron Ezrahi and Everett Mendelsohn); Future Imperfect: The Mixed Blessings of Technology in America; Utopias: A Brief History;Technology in America (with Alan I Marcus); Technological Utopianism in American Culture; and Recasting the Machine Age.
According to historian of technology Alan I Marcus, Segal was attracted to utopias "because they suggested a perfectibility that he wanted to help make true. His work labored to make institutions, governments, and other social agencies continually strive to approach that noble goal."[3]
At the heart of almost everything that Segal wrote was technology, which could be used for good or evil. Marcus explains that precisely because "technology often had unintended consequences, Segal cherished his utopian-inspiring institutions. Their representatives could be entrusted to redress wrongs, alter course, and rein in unexpected ramifications that could cause harm."[4]
- ^ "In Memoriam: Howard P. Segal (1948–2020)". Perspectives on History (AHA). February 26, 2021.
- ^ "Howard Paul Segal". Boston Globe. November 13, 2020.
- ^ Marcus, Alan (2021-02-26). ""Howard P. Segal"". Perspectives on History.
- ^ Marcus, Alan I (26 February 2021). ""Howard P Segal"". Perspectives on History – via American Historical Association; Freely Accessible Arts and Humanities Journals.