Introduction to Philosophy of Technology

by Mark Coeckelbergh

Overview

Addressing the technological opportunities and challenges of the 21st century, Introduction to Philosophy of Technology offers the most up-to-date and comprehensive overview of philosophy of technology available. It covers several of the classic theories and approaches, but also moves beyond them to explore a broader range of theories and a number of new dynamics in the field, including responding to new technological developments. Esteemed scholar Mark Coeckelbergh emphasizes how new technological developments stimulate philosophical thinking—and rethinking—and how philosophers of technology could do more to interact with other subdisciplines in philosophy and fields beyond academia, such as art and policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190939809
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/06/2019
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Mark Coeckelbergh is Professor of Media and Technology in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Vienna and was also President of the Society for Philosophy and Technology. He is the author of twelve books and a member of the High Level Expert Group on AI of the European Commission.

Table of Contents

PART 1. INTRODUCTION: PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY?1. Introduction, Case/Technology: Nuclear Technology and the Atomic Bomb1.1. Thinking about Technology? 1.2. Approach, Structure of the Book, and Overview of Chapters2. History and Landscape, Case: Technology, Knowledge, and Memory2.1. Beginnings: Two Ancient Myths, In Focus: Bernard Stiegler2.2. A Brief History of the Discipline, Technology: The Time Machine2.3. Historical Context, Landscape of the Discipline, and Critical Questions, Technology: The Industrial Revolution, In Focus: Carl MitchamPART 2. THINKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY BY STARTING FROM THEORY3. Phenomenology and Hermeneutics: Heidegger, McLuhan, and Contemporary Work, Case/Technology: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and the Question about Mastery3.1. Heidegger's Essay Concerning Technology: Beyond an Instrumental Understanding of Technology, In Focus: Martin Heidegger3.2. McLuhan's Understanding of Media, In Focus: Marshall McLuhan, In Focus: Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Case/Technology: The Internet3.3. Some Contemporary Work in Phenomenology and Hermeneutics of Technology, Case/Technology: Artificial Intelligence, In Focus: Hubert Dreyfus4. Postphenomenology, Material Hermeneutics, and Mediation Theory, Case/Technology: Driving a Car4.1. Introduction: The Empirical Turn4.2. Ihde's Postphenomenology and Material Hermeneutics, In Focus: Don Ihde, Case/Technology: Robot as Quasi-Other4.3. Contemporary Postphenomenology and Mediation Theory, In Focus: Peter-Paul Verbeek, Technology/Case: Medical Sonography/Ultrasound4.4. Critical Discussion5. Critical Theory and Feminism, Case: Digital Technologies in a Corporate and Capitalist Context5.1. Marx: Political Economy and Technology, In Focus: Karl Marx5.2. Marx 2.0.: Social media and Exploitation, Case/Technology: Social Media and Web 2.05.3. Critical Theory about Technology Beyond Marx: From Marcuse and Foucault to Feenberg and Winner, In Focus: Michel Foucault, Case: Surveillance: The Panopticon and Airport Security, Case: Biased Algorithms and Algorithms Not in the Interest of Consumers: Job Selection, Criminal Justice, and Online Stores, In Focus: Andrew Feenberg, In Focus: Langdon Winner5.4. Feminist Thinking about Technology, Case: Design of Household Robots, In Focus: Donna Haraway5.5. Critical Discussion6. Pragmatism, Analytic Approaches, and Transcultural Philosophy, Case/Technology: Neonatal Care and Technology6.1. Pragmatism, In Focus: John Dewey6.2. Analytic Philosophy of Technology, Technology: Money and Contemporary Financial Technologies (Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain), In Focus: John Searle's Social Ontology6.3. Intercultural and Transcultural Philosophy of Technology?, In Focus: Gilbert Simondon, Case/Technology: Digital Communication Technologies and The Good LifePART 3 . THINKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY BY STARTING FROM TECHNOLOGY7. From Information Technologies to Philosophy and Ethics of InformationTechnology: Digital and Virtual Worlds, The Matrix, and Beyond7.1. Introduction, In Focus: Norbert Wiener7.2. All about Information: Floridi's Philosophy and Ethics of Information, Case/Technology: Fake News and the Internet7.3. Critical Discussion7.4. Conclusions for Philosophy of Technology8. From Robotics and AI to Thinking about Moral Status and Human Relationships, Case: Self-Driving Cars8.1. Introduction8.2. Moral Machines? The Discussion about Moral Agency, Case: Biased Algorithms8.3. The Discussion about Moral Patiency8.4. Changing the Question: Toward More Relational Thinking, In Focus: Emmanuel Levinas8.5. The Debate about Sex Robots and Human Relationships: Feminist (or Egalitarian) Questions, Technology: Sex Robots8.6. Humans, Non-Humans, and the More-Than-Human9. From Genetic Engineering and Cyborgs to Transhumanism and Posthumanism, Case/Technology: Gene Editing9.1. Introduction9.2. Transhumanism and Human Enhancement9.3. Posthumanism and Cyborgs, In Focus: Haraway, In Focus: Stelarc, In Focus: Bruno Latour10. From Climate Change and Geoengineering to Questioning "Nature" and Thinking in and about the "Anthropocene", Case/Technology: (Solar) Radiation Management as a Method of Geoengineering10.1. Introduction: Earth, We Have a Problem10.2. The Problem With "Nature": Modern Versus Non-Modern Approaches, Case/Technology: Central Heating Versus Wood-Burning Stove10.3. The Anthropocene: Some Philosophical ResponsesPART 4. THINKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY BY GOING BEYOND PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY (PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY +)11. Philosophy of Technology and Other Philosophy: (Re)Connecting with Other Philosophical Subdisciplines, Case/Technology: Social Media (2) and Its Effects on our Lives11.1. Introduction11.2. Ethics and Moral Philosophy: Thinking about Virtue and Thinking about Technology11.3. Philosophical Anthropology: Thinking about the Human and Thinking about Technology, Technology: Cochlear Implants11.4. Philosophy of Language: Thinking about Language and Thinking about Technology, In Focus: John Searle, Ludwig Wittgenstein11.5. Other Subfields: Some Examples11.6. Conclusions for Philosophers of Technology12. Philosophy of Technology and Other Academic Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity, Case/Technology: Robotics and Interdisciplinarity12.1. Introduction12.2. Some Examples of Transdisciplinary Work for Philosophers of Technology, In Focus: Deborah Johnson, Technology: Humanoid Robots, In Focus: Wiebe Bijker12.3. Challenges for Transdisciplinary Work13. Philosophy of Technology and Other Practices Beyond Academia, Case/Technology: "Killer Drones" and Activism13.1. Beyond Academia: Innovation, Policy, and Art, In Focus: Jeroen Van Den Hoven, In Focus: Robert Frodeman, Technology: Smartphones, Tablets, and Other Smart Devices13.2. Some Directions and Recommendations Concerning the Future of Research in Philosophy of Technology and Its Potential Implications for Education

Editorial Reviews

"Introduction to Philosophy of Technology is a model of philosophical clarity. Many will be thrilled to have a textbook written by such an eminent scholar in the field as Professor Coeckelbergh."—Shannon Vallor, Santa Clara University

"This text is logical, cohesive, and clearly communicated. It is the first and only textbook in the philosophy of technology that is designed for and that can scale to the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century."—David Gunkel, Northern Illinois University

"I would rate the overall quality of this book as excellent. One can imagine students getting excited about the philosophy of technology, and philosophy in general, from reading Coeckelbergh's work. He writes in a student-friendly manner, with clear and accessible prose."—Diane Michelfelder, Macalester College

From the Publisher