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Introduction: Articulating the Phenomenological Legacy of the Philosophy of Technology

Jochem Zwier(author)
Bas de Boer(author)

Chapter of: Phenomenology and the Philosophy of Technology(pp. 1–24)

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Title	Introduction
Subtitle	Articulating the Phenomenological Legacy of the Philosophy of Technology
Contributor	Jochem Zwier(author)
Contributor	Bas de Boer(author)
DOI	https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0421.00
Landing page	https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0421/chapters/10.11647/obp.0421.00
License	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Copyright	Jochem Zwier; Bas de Boer;
Publisher	Open Book Publishers
Published on	2024-10-16
Long abstract	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.
Page range	pp. 1–24
Print length	24 pages
Language	English (Original)

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Contributors

Jochem Zwier

(author)

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

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6602-019X

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jochem-Zwier

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

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2009-2198

https://people.utwente.nl/s.o.m.deboer

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).

References

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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.