What Is The "Supreme Danger" As Well As The "Saving Power"

That Heidegger Sees In The Essence Of Technology

When Heidegger began exploring on the nature of the relationship between human

beings and technology, the poems of Friedrich Hölderlin were a source of inspiration

in finding his answers. In his essay 'the question concerning technology`, Heidegger

made use of a quote by Hölderlins´ in his anthem of 1802 ´Patmos`; 'But where the

danger is, grows the saving power also` to illustrate the essence of technology.

Heidegger opined that we should not discriminate against technology as long as we

are yet to understand the essence of it. This position can cause an over or

underestimating of technology. Without adequate understanding of the essence of

technology, chances is are of our becoming dependent on it.

Heidegger’s struggle in defining the essence of technology can be seen in his

exploration of the theme. He commenced by developing a special interest in language.

An example is Heidegger's word creation: ´En-framing` (Gestell). Enframing is a

helpful perspective for Heidegger through which he defines why there should be an

awareness of the danger and the possible side effects of uncontrolled technology in

general. Enframing is for him the universal motivation of mankind to create

technology,which can be seen as the motivation to set up a frame for it (technology).

Even if nature is rather the driving force for developing technology, Heidegger

emphasized that Enframing is the essence of modern technology. He believes that one

of the biggest challenges of the human beings is to discover and gather natural

resources (as they are currently the main source of energy). Heidegger is concerned

about this ruthless behavior, because due to the lack of awareness of the essence of

technology which is the supreme “danger” harbored by the essence of technology

according to Heidegger, humans are not able to balance their relationship between

Enframing and technology.

However, the meaning of Heideggers´ essay and Hölderin´s quote ‘But where the

danger is, grows the saving power also’ is not to glorify the technology or to

demonize it, but rather to disclose the facts and clarify the relationship between

technology and man. He believes that art is a platform upon which human beings can

redefine their relationship with technology.

To further illustrate ‘but where the danger is, grows the saving power also.’

Heidegger discovered that the origin of the word ´technology` comes from the Greek

word techne which implies the poesis (revealing) of the fine arts. This is particularly

helpful in understanding the essence and proper implications of technology.

Heidegger proposed that the saving power is in art. The ability of art to create and

visualize a discourse between technology and human beings allows it to create a

contemporary context for the saving power. We have seen it is the nature of the art

which determines its ability to transform this relationship. Heidegger encourages us to

reveal the truth with unpredictable art because ´The closer we come to the danger, the

more brightly do the ways into the saving power begin to shine and the more

questioning we become1.`

1 The Question Concerning Technology MARTIN HEIDEGGER Source: The Question Concerning Technology (1977),
pp 3–35
 Sources

Heidegger: “The Question Concerning Technology” (from Basic Writings)

Kisner: Unit 9 Commentary