International Journal of Applied Research on Information Technology and Computing

  • Year: 2014
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue: 3

Philosophy of Technology Reflection

1Independent Research Scholar, Central University of Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi, 221007, Uttar Pradesh, India

*Email id: tirelessarun@gmail.com

Abstract

Since the human race began, human invents technology and technology invents humans. The characteristics that make us human will continue to be manifest in our relationship with technology. Shifting boundaries between computers and everyday world; the more we depend on technologies to carry out or mediate our everyday activities, the more we will need to trust than to do so. Philosophers working on technologies will have to respond to the ‘given fact’ that we live in a ‘technological and organisational culture’ by sketching a ‘praxis philosophy’ of technologies, where technologies are multistable. In the paper, it is argued that technologies are inherently non-neutral. The easiest way to understand the non-neutrality of a technology is to follow North American philosopher Don Ihde's suggestion that we consider how experience is mediated by the technologies we use. The paper is divided into six sections: in the first four sections the emphasis is given on technologically mediated embodiment and concept of cyborg, cyber and cyberspace. In Section 5, it is argued that technology is a cultural force and is culturally multistable. The paper has ended with an emphasis on the role of humanities in technoscientific world. The main hypothesis of the article is: technology is now seen as interdependent in relation to the society rather than independent of it. Technology and society form an inseparable pair, but neither is intelligible without reference to each other.

Keywords

Body, Culture, Homo faber, Humanities, Ihde, Irrgang, Mediation, Multistable, Philosophy of technology, Posthuman, Verbeek