Contemporary technology has the potential to hinder humanity's attainment of freedom in the opinion of Thomas Merton and Jacques Ellul. Both thinkers offer unique perspectives on the impact that they believe technology has had on society in the twentieth century, and they both offer unconventional definitions of the concept of freedom. Shaw compares their views on technology and its impact on freedom, and in doing so allows those who may not be familiar with either of these thinkers to investigate some of their other writing more thoroughly.