Whether we are talking about a mobile phone or a computer, technology has become a hugely important part of our culture. It can make communication easier, and it can give people the chance to share information with people all over the world. However, technology can also be abused by a few individuals or corporations. Technology can be used to harm individuals or groups, and it can cause pollution. New technologies often raise new ethical questions.
In its most basic form, technology is the application of knowledge to produce useful implementations. It can be used in a wide variety of ways, but it is usually an application of math or science. Technology also refers to anything that is produced by human hands. It can be anything from a simple invention to a large-scale project.
Technology is a complex topic, but the word itself has its origins in an Indo-European root, tek. It means “craft,” “artifact,” or “technique.” It has also come to mean “-ology,” which is the study of the use of technology. The word originally referred to the ability to construct wooden houses with wattling, and it soon broadened to include specialized expertise. Some Hippocrates authors also considered medicine a form of technology.
During the early twentieth century, foundational issues were hotly debated. The close relationship between scientists and technologists was evident. It was also apparent that philosophy was not ignoring technology. In the early years of the Industrial Revolution, there was a positive attitude towards technology. However, in the late nineteenth century, the focus shifted to a critical approach. The representatives of this attitude had a background in the humanities and social sciences. They tended to portray technology as a technical rationality, or a means-to-ends rationality.
One important early contribution to philosophy of technology was Aristotle’s doctrine of the four causes. This doctrine posits that there are four primary causes underlying the development of artifacts: function, form, material, and substance. This doctrine is still relevant in discussions of the metaphysics of artifacts.
Early philosophical reflection on technology was focused on its impact on society. The philosophy of technology is a discipline that emerged during the last two centuries. It is not based on a single source, but rather a collection of strands of thought.
Some of the oldest testimony on the philosophy of technology comes from ancient Greece. There, philosophers argued that technology learned from nature. Others claimed that technology was imitating nature, as in Democritus’ claim that weaving was first developed by imitating nature.
Technology has played a role in wars and political oppression. It has also helped develop advanced economies. However, new technologies have also disrupted social hierarchies, and have contributed to human welfare. It is important to understand technology’s origins, so we can appreciate its role in contemporary society.
In the nineteenth century, philosophers and scientists tended to have a positive attitude toward technology. It was the practice of science that made it possible to convert natural resources into simple tools. The invention of the wheel, for example, allowed humans to travel on land. In addition, the invention of the printing press decreased the physical barriers to communication.