Thinking Around
Technology
STS Interaction
Business
Religion
Sectors
S&T
GOVERNMENT
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
• Describe technology in Heidegger’s framework: bringing forth, challenging
forth, and enframing
• Analyze the impact of modern technology to society’s world view
• Discuss the concepts of good life and flourishing
• Propose ways how to live a good life amidst technological explosion
The Common Technological Assessment
COST
OUTPUT
ENERGY INPUT
The Common Technological Assessment
BENEFITS: ENVIRONMENTAL
NEEDS IMPACT
ECONOMIC
The Common Technological Assessment
BENEFITS: ENVIRONMENTAL
NEEDS IMPACT
ECONOMIC (Not Immediate)
(Immediate)
Heidegger’s Question Concerning Technology
MODERN
PERSONAL
TECHNOLOGY
ORIENTATION
Heidegger’s Essence of Technology
Technology is REVEALING
TECHNOLOGY IS
BRINGING FORTH
IT IS GETTING
SOMETHING INTO
EXISTENCE
BRINGING FORTH
Heidegger’s Essence of Technology
Technology is REVEALING TECHNOLOGY
REVEALS THE
POTENTIAL OF THE
MATERIAL, THE
EXPERTISE OF THE
CRAFTSMAN, AND THE
PRUPOSE OF THE
CRAFT IN HARMONY
WITH NATURE
BRINGING FORTH
Heidegger’s Essence of Technology
Modern Tech is TOO REVEALING. It is CHALLENGING FORTH
For Heidegger, modern technology is too revealing. It shows something
beyond its natural purpose. When a dam is built in a river it loses its natural
meaning. It exposes the river as a source of energy rather than an aesthetic
source of inspiration.
The dam doesn’t bring forth something from the river that preserves its
essence of being a river. What the dam makes is it “challenges” the river to be
something else. It alters the natural course of the river.
Heidegger’s Reflection: the danger is not in the modern
technology itself but on the orientation of the people
ORIENTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL
TO MODERN
IMPACT
TECHNOLOGY
The Scientific Objective
Revolution Reality
Modern
Science ENFRAMING
Modern Industrial Capitalism Consumerism
Technology Revolution
Enframing
Is the place in the picture a good one? Why is it good?
Enframing
• When people have collectively embraced “challenging forth”, it leads further
to seeing things and people in the perspective of instrumentality.
Enframing
• When people have collectively embraced “challenging forth”, it leads further
to seeing things and people in the perspective of instrumentality.
Seeing nature as a resource, or standing reserve is enframing.
Continuing the path of enframing will lead to a point where society
will also consider humans as a standing reserve.
Heidegger’s Reflection: the danger is ENFRAMING
NEGATIVE
IMPACTS OF
ENFRAMING MODERN
TECHNOLOGY
The Good Life : Restoring balance between technology and
nature, and humanity
the Good Life
To Aristotle, the good life is
the attainment of
Eudaimonia or happiness
derived from living well and
doing well. It is a virtuous
life anchored on moderation.
the Good Life and Technology
Area where the use of modern
technology is most prominent and
moderation mostly needed.
Human Flourishing
A communal condition related to
living the good life (that is when
members of the community are
pursuing the good life)
Summary
Modern technology is always favored when its benefit is assessed against its
negative effects. This is due to enframing or the mindset that nature and even
humans are standing reserves or resources. This is true even today when
technology’s “challenging forth” nature has finally drawn us to the reality of
climate change. Pursuing a good life, a life of living and doing well, a living in
moderation including the use of technology is the best way to break free from
enframing.