Copyright

Jochem Zwier; Bas de Boer;

Published On

2024-10-16

Page Range

pp. 1–24

Language

  • English

Print Length

24 pages

Introduction

Articulating the Phenomenological Legacy of the Philosophy of Technology

In the introduction, it is motivated why it is important to articulate the phenomenological legacy of the philosophy of technology. We introduce some of the key concerns within philosophy of technology, link those to the general project of phenomenology, and distinguish the phenomenological method from the scientific method. We introduce key figures in the history of phenomenology (e.g., Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty) and show how their mode of inquiry remains to influence contemporary philosophical reflections on technology. We discuss how phenomenology is typically used in such analyses and identify two different functions of phenomenology in the philosophy of technology: (1) a vehicle to articulate human (embodied) experiences in their interaction(s) with technology, and (2) a way of presenting technology as a general phenomenon that shapes how human beings understand themselves, others, and the world around them. In conclusion, we provide a summary of the chapters and discuss how they relate to the project of the book.

Contributors

Jochem Zwier

(author)
Researcher in philosophy of technology and Managing Director of the 4TU Centre for Ethics of Technology at Wageningen University & Research

Jochem Zwier is a researcher in philosophy of technology and Managing Director of the 4TU Centre for Ethics of Technology at Wageningen University. His work is situated at the intersection of philosophy of technology and environmental thought. His research interests include phenomenology, hermeneutics, and philosophical anthropology.

Bas de Boer

(author)
Assistant Professor at University of Twente

Bas de Boer is an Assistant Professor in the philosophy section at the University of Twente. His research focuses on how technologies shape our understanding and experience of ourselves and the world we live in, with a specific focus on technologies in healthcare. His research interests are in philosophy of science, philosophy of medicine, and (post) phenomenology of technology. He authored How Scientific Instruments Speak: Postphenomenology and Technological Mediations in Neuroscientific Practice (Lexington Books, 2021).