Thursday, 30 April 2015

Magic Is Not A Tech Crutch

Dominic Matte
I've seen a few interesting thoughts on the interaction between magic and technology. A common argument is that advanced technology would not develop in a world with magic because magic works as a sort of crutch that negates any need for scientific advancement. If you can shoot fireballs and beams of force from your fingertips, why would you need a gun? If you can teleport not just between towns, but between continents or worlds or planes, why would you need cars or trains?

Personally, I'd argue the opposite: a world with magic would develop technology at a faster rate.