Philosophy of Technology
Is there something inherently bad or wrong about some technologies, or do faults lie wholly with the user? Do some technologies by their nature reinforce particular ideologies? Do artifacts have politics? I'll introduce some major lines of philosophical questioning about technology, and outline a theoretical approach developed by Alfred Borgmann, who offers one possible way to identify technologies that are more likely to be bad for us.
Philosophy of Technology
“And” or “Of”
Philosophical problem- external to technology
Technology itself is a subject of philosophical scrutiny
Nature of technology instead of external contingencies
Is art technology, or is technology art?
Coincide
Techniques are technology
Technology is not just an artifact, but the process to reach/create an artifact
Do animals have technology?
Make tasks more convenient
“Prototechnology”
Is it distinct from craft/art
Focus on things, or how they function? Less definition
Does technology have an essence?
Four major theories:
Neutrality: technology is a neutral tool that can be used for good or bad purposes
Determinism: technology is the driving force of social change
Technological development drives the course of history and social developments
Birth control and second-wave feminism
Strong determinism: there is a fixed path of development to technology and therefore a fixed path to social change
Weak determinism: technology influences social change
Autonomy: technology has a direction of its own that is beyond our control
Social Construction: technology is a man-made thing that shapes social practices which, in turn, shapes technological development
Borgmann: Device Paradigm
“The Moral Complexion of Consumption” (2000)
Two kinds of consumption:
Consumption up to subsistence
Paradigmatic Consumption
Principle of Symmetry:
“The human condition and the condition of the material environment tend toward the same level.”
Devices vs. focal things and practices
A device: separates the means from the ends
This kind of consumption “displaces the kinds of things in the material world that have a life and dignity of their own.”
