Kontaktperson: Johanna Seibt ( filaeibt@hum.au.dk ) | lektor | Institut for Filosofi & idéhistorie
Projektdeltagere: klik her
Technology in the broad sense of the term as tool-based intervention is the distinctive and defining trait of humankind. In the narrow sense of technology as the employment of ‘high-tech’ tools, i.e., sophisticated electrical information-processing and/or robotic tools, it is an invention of last century. Since the 1990’s at latest it is apparent that technology in its narrow sense is, and will be, a pervasive characteristic of our everyday lives. Hightech intervention is the single most important change in the recent history of Western societies and cultures, and is rapidly spreading around the globe. Not only our relationship to nature has changed in all basic aspects, but also the conditions of most of our economic, social, and epistemic activities--high-technology has entered into our relationship to distance, work, the production of goods, health, food, clothing, communication, music, art, entertainment, research, teaching, procreation, death.
During the four decades or so—with notorious anticipations in Dewey, Heidegger, Adorno, Benjamin—philosophers have begun to reflect on the significance of the fundamental alterations effected by the increased use of technology and since the last decade ‘philosophy of technology’ has established itself as a new field of research and teaching. Many areas in philosophy—in particular applied ethics, philosophy of art, philosophy of mind—are addressing effects of technology in the course of describing which contexts currently give rise to traditional philosophical questions. In contrast, philosophy of technology takes the phenomenon of technology as its point of departure and investigates what kind of philosophical questions it engenders. Main topics in the philosophy of technology are:
1. Ontological implications of technology: (towards a typology of technology--definitional and classificatory issues)
2. Epistemological and metaphysical implications of technology, e.g.:
a. Technology and logic (knowledge representation, modeling of common sense reasoning)
b. Technology as semiotic phenomenon
c. Technology and philosophy of science (technological progress and the theory of truth, technology and issues of scientific confirmation, assessments of technology)
d. Technology and the communication of knowledge (pedagogical issues)
e. Technology and the modeling of the mind
3. Ethical and existential implications of technology (the regulation of technology, technology and freedom, subjects and obstacles)
4. Socio-cultural implications of technology (interpersonal relations and communication)
5. Aesthetic implications of technology (e.g., aesthetic experience vs. the marvel at tools)
The research project is in it first stage of conception and at present only encompasses joint course development with a target date of Fall 2006. The general research competence of the participants currently pertains to topics 1 and 2.
Forventede projektresultater/produkter: The research project is in it first stage of conception and at present only encompasses joint course development (MA level) with a target date of Fall 2006. The general research competence of the participants currently pertains to topics 1 and 2. Since philosophy of technology is a comparatively new area of research, a placement of research articles in international journals should be possible within 6-12 months
Projektets faser og varighed: Current projection 1 year. Jan-August 2006 Course development, Fall 2006 conduction of course and further research.
Finn Olesen ( finno@imv.au.dk ) | lektor | IMV
