Draft Version. Full text: Seifert, Franz (2013) Antitechnology Movements: Technological Versus Social Innovation. In: Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. Springer: 67-73. 1 Anti-technology movements. Technological versus social Innovation Franz Seifert Resistance against technological change is a recurrent feature of the history of technological innovation and diffusion. Frequently, however, advocates of technological innovation misread the ensuing social controversies and regard anti-technology movements as anachronistic hurdles to inevitable and necessary technological change. They tend to overlook the fact that controversies over technological change carry both a democratic and an innovative potential in themselves as they prompt societies to negotiate political choices on socio-technological issues (instead of choices based on purely military or economic rationales), and force them not only to seek alternative technologies but also alternative forms of social organisation as well as new forms of democratic conflict resolution. This entry’s objective is threefold: firstly, to shed light on the deeper causes and rationales of resistance against technological innovation; secondly, to suggest that social innovation can often be seen as an alternative to technological innovation; and thirdly, to highlight certain types of social innovation which are in fact spawned by technological controversies. These theses will be outlined using the examples of several outstanding technological controversies. In historical order these are the Luddites’ machine-smashing campaign in early 19 th century England, the conflict over nuclear power; the controversy over agro-food biotechnology which will receive a special focus and serve to illustrate the theses raised above in greater detail; and the debate about nanotechnology. Mechanisation in early 19 th century textile industry The term „Luddite“ is an inherent part of the English language and stands for radical action against new technologies, with a certain odour of irrational technophobia. In fact, however, the 19 th century Luddites not only present the paradigmatic case of an anti-technological movement but also exemplify how the social cause and meaning of such a movement might be overlooked and misinterpreted for long periods. The Luddites were a movement of machine-breakers spreading across southern England in the early 19 th century. In 1813, the insurgence was crushed by harsh repression including military deployment, mass-trials, deportations and death-penalties. In the eyes of posterity the movement came to be seen as