Thinking through Technology: The Path between Engineering and Philosophy - Hardcover

Mitcham, Carl

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226531961 ISBN 13: 9780226531960

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 1994

Synopsis

What does it mean to think about technology philosophically? Why try? These are the issues that Carl Mitcham addresses in this work, a comprehensive, critical introduction to the philosophy of technology and a discussion of its sources and uses.

Tracing the changing meaning of "technology" from ancient times to our own, Mitcham identifies the most important traditions of critical analysis of technology: the engineering approach, which assumes the centrality of technology in human life; and the humanities approach, which is concerned with its moral and cultural boundaries.

Mitcham bridges these two traditions through an analysis of discussions of engineering design, of the distinction between tools and machines, and of engineering science itself. He looks at technology as it is experienced in everyday life—as material objects (from kitchenware to computers), as knowledge ( including recipes, rules, theories, and intuitive "know-how"), as activity (design, construction, and use), and as volition (knowing how to use technology and understanding its consequences). By elucidating these multiple aspects, Mitcham establishes criteria for a more comprehensive analysis of ethical issues in applications of science and technology.

This book will guide anyone wanting to reflect on technology and its moral implications.

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Reviews

In this critical introduction to the philosophy behind and about technology, defined here as "the making and using of artifacts," the essential conflict that Mitcham studies is over the control of our technologies. One camp believes that it is humans who control and direct technologies, choosing those that we will use and discarding others. The opposing camp worries that technology drives forward by its own momentum, structuring humankind's existence after the fact. Mitcham evaluates each side, arguing that the more complete answer is somewhere in the middle, between the choices we make and the demands our creations do certainly place on us. Included are the views of major philosophers and critical thinkers. A sound basis for future analysis of the many ethical issues inherent in our technological lives. Brian McCombie

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226531961
• ISBN 13: 9780226531960
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 405