Preliminary Exploration of Technical Phenomenology

Author: Yang Qingfeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Preface Chapter 1: The Technological Concept of Instrumentalism
Section 1: Four Views on Technology
1. The Epistemological View of Technology or the Knowledgeist View
2. The Actionist View of Technology or the Activityist View
3. The Instrumentalist View of Technology or the Instrumentalism View
4. The Ontological View of Technology
Section 2: The Origins of Instrumentalism
1. The Historical Roots of "Instrumentalism": Religion
2. The Modern Context of Instrumentalism: Realism
Section 3: An Overview of the Instrumentalist View of Technology
1. Theory and Tools
2. Purpose and Tools
3. Value and Tools
Chapter 2: Instrumentalism within a Sociological Perspective
Section 1: Limitations of the Sociological Perspective
1. Modern Phenomena
2. Instrumental Rationality or Zweckrationalit?t
3. Reflexive Phenomena
Section 2: Technology and Instrumental Rationality
1. Weber, Simmel, and Modernity
2. Weber, Simmel, and Instrumental Rationality
3. Instrumentalism within the Social Sphere
Section 3: Technology and Ideology
1. Marx: Science, Technology, and Ideology
2. Marcuse and Habermas: Technology as Ideology
Section 4: Technology and Reflexive Phenomena
1. Anthony Giddens and Reflexivity
2. Ulrich Beck and Reflexivity
Section 5: Technology and Social Construction
1. An Examination of the Concept of Construction
2. Social Constructionism and Its Key Figures
3. Social Constructionism and Instrumentalism
Chapter 3: Instrumentalism within an Ecological Perspective
1. Environmental Ethics
2. The Expansion of Intrinsic Value and Ethical Concepts
3. The Invalidity of Ethical Norms
4. The Premises of Instrumentalism
Chapter 4: Instrumentalism within an Ethical Perspective
Section 1: Out-of-Control Technology
1. Frankenstein's Monster and Its Ethical Implications
2. The Basis of Instrumentalism
3. The Violated Subject
Section 2: The Approach of Instrumentalism
1. Undeniable and Trustworthy Technology
2. The Crisis of Trust
3. The Illusion of Subjectivity
Section 3: The Shattering of the Subjective Illusion
1. Problems Faced by the Subject
2. Tantalus and
Chapter 5: Critique of the Instrumentalist View of Technology
Section 1: An Examination of Purpose and Tools
1. The Agency of Purpose
2. The Passivity of Tools
Section 2: The Philosophical Basis of Instrumentalism
1. The Premise of Passivity
2. Technology as a Tool
3. Autonomous Technology
Section 3: The Limitations of Technological Instrumentalism
1. Optimism
2. Value Neutrality
3. Technology as Production
Chapter 6: Technology and Purpose
Section 1: Four Ways of Understanding Purpose
1. The Principle Governing the Natural Products of Life
2. The Factor Constituting Human Internal Activity
3. Subjectivity
4. Objectivity
Section 2: Purpose in Technological Objects
1. Purpose: For What Reason
2. Purpose as a Cause
3. Natural Objects and Technological Objects
Section 3: Purpose: The Key to Understanding Technology
1. Tools
2. Utility
Section 4: Technology as Utility
1. Utility and Teleology
2. The Analysis of the Hammer
Chapter 7: Technology and Production
Section 1: Marx's Philosophy of Technology
1. The Narrative of Marx's Philosophy of Technology
2. Core Concepts in Marx's Philosophy of Technology—Production
Section 2: Material Production as Practice
1. Production: The Directionality of Tool Use
2. Technology: Objective Activity
Section 3: Production and the Activity of Using Tools
1. The Activity of Using Tools and Tools Themselves
2. Economic Categories: The Basis for Their Distinction
Section 4: Production and the Individual and Species
1. Practicing Individuals
2. Practicing Species Existence
Section 5: The Limitations of the Analysis of Technology as Production
Chapter 8: Technology and Being
Section 1: The Misunderstood Heidegger
1. Heidegger's Critique of Technology
2. The Outcome of the Critique
Section 2: Technology and Being-with
1. The Contradiction Related to Use
2. Technology, Tools, and Instruments
3. Being-in-the-World and the Use of Tools
4. Tools and Wholeness
5. Wholeness and Being
Section 3: Technology and Representation
1. The Basic Background of Propositions
2. The Analysis of Propositions
3. The Understanding of Propositions
4. The Answer to the Original Question
Section 4: Technology and Being
1. Technology: The Way of Unconcealment
2. The Stand: The Prior Form of Ereignis
Section 5: Conclusion
Epilogue: The Possibility of Being Forgotten and Technology as Purpose
References
Afterword