 Learning Activities 4

3. Comment on the philosophical ideas of Heidegger or Hickel.

As for what Martin Heidegger described his philosophical view on technology as the age of
switches, standing reserve, and stockpiling for its own sake. This is manifested by mechanization and
digitalization of many aspects of life. Heidegger strongly opposes the view that technology is “a means
to an end” or “a human activity.” These two approaches, which Heidegger calls, respectively, the
“instrumental” and “anthropological” definitions, are indeed “correct”, but do not go deep enough; as
he says, they are not yet “true.” Unquestionably, Heidegger points out, technological objects are means
for ends, and are built and operated by human beings, but the essence of technology is something else
entirely. Just as the essence of a tree is not itself a tree, Heidegger points out, so the essence of
technology is not anything technological.

Technology, according to Heidegger must be understood as “a way of revealing”. “Revealing” is

one of the terms Heidegger developed himself in order to make it possible to think what, according to
him, is not thought anymore. From my perspective this means that everything we perceive or think of or
interact with “emerges out of concealment into unconcealment,” in Heidegger’s words. By entering
into a particular relation with reality, reality is ‘revealed’ in a specific way. And this is where technology
comes in, since technology is the way of revealing that characterises our time. Technology embodies a
specific way of revealing the world, a revealing in which humans take power over reality. Technology
reveals the world as raw material, available for production and manipulation.

4. What would have happened to mankind if technology did not exist?

We already saw the impact of technology in the history of humankind. Yes, without technology
existing, our life will be like the old days of our great-great-grandparents. For instance, when the
people go out of town, if it is far away, they will wake up early in the morning and walk all the way or
maybe riding a bicycle. Most likely, the air people breathe in are fresh. If technology doesn't exist the
mankind will stay arduous in all that they do. Without technology, only scarcely any vehicles will be
made and hardly any structures too. The death of messages is moderate and the correspondence isn't
quick. On the off chance that the correspondence isn't as simple as today, this will reflect to the speed of
undertakings along these lines the world and the people are on the whole moderate movement
contrasted with the world with innovation. As a rule, if innovation bites the dust not exist, the world
won't be as simple and as prosperous as today. Be that as it may, families might be shut to one another
more than how they are shut to their contraptions. In conclusion, if there is no technology to the
world, it will go dull and people are like living in a world without a useful resources and lack of
information.

But there will be always a good side on it without technology. As what they say, POSITIVE is
always part of Negative.