How technology shapes human thought

Philosophy of technology examines the assumptions, values, and consequences involved in making and using tools, systems, and processes. These lessons explore technical skill, technology's relationship with nature, and the social patterns and institutions that shape how people use it.

2 articles, 1 book · about 21 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   philosophy of technology · Wikipedia · 9 min read

   The phrase "philosophy of technology" was first used in the late 19th century by German philosopher and geographer Ernst Kapp, who published Grundlinien einer Philosophie der Technik ("Elements of a Philosophy of Technology") in 1877. Influenced by Hegel, Kapp understood technology as a projection or extension of human organs and capacities. The Zhuangzi's story of Cook Ding carving the ox can be treated as an example of Chinese philosophy of technology, where technical mastery emerges through harmony with the patterns of the world rather than external control. Daoist texts such as the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi present technical skill as attunement to the dao rather than domination over nature. Francis Bacon was one of the first modern authors to reflect on technology's impact on society. In New Atlantis (1627), he imagined Salomon's House using natural philosophy and technology to extend man's power over nature for society's betterment and improve living conditions.

2. Read
   

   How Social Engineering Drives Technology · Palladium Magazine · 12 min read

   Introducing mass use of the car meant making people want to learn to drive, providing roads and highways, and making the car the cornerstone of modern transportation. The passage says these social patterns and institutions were designed, not discovered, and that advertising shows people how and why to want things.

3. Book
   

   The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains · Bookshop.org

   The Shallows by Nicholas Carr explores the effects of the Internet on the brain and claims research shows online reading yields lower comprehension than reading a printed page.

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