SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

1ST Semester, SY 2022-2023

The Question Concerning Technology by Martin Heidegger

The continuous world development has made technology more engraved in our daily lives.

Technology in all aspects has shown significant influence and contribution in reshaping society. As

technology becomes more pervasive in our world, we need to be vigilant about how we use it, therefore,

we must ask ourselves: what is the essence of technology? The philosopher Martin Heidegger made this

question prominent in his work The Question Concerning Technology, which provides us with a deep

and better understanding of the concrete essence of technology. This work of his has been paramount to

the philosophy of technology back in the 20 th century. He undertakes the philosophical challenge of

discovering the essence of technology. 

Heidegger discusses the two main ways we perceive technology: 1) as a means to an end; and 2) as

a human activity. He contends that although this is true, these generalizations do not capture the essence

of technology. What anything is, or what it is fundamentally, is its essence. Without getting too

metaphysical, there is often a difference between what something is and what it does. Although different

technologies have diverse functions, technology itself is essentially the same. Technology is more than

just a means to an end or an activity. It changes how we perceive the world and how we relate to it.

Technology is not an impartial force either. It reflects human values and nature, just as nuclear weapons

depict human violence. Heidegger believes that the essence of technology is enframing. He defines

enframing as "the gathering together that belongs to that setting-upon which sets upon man and puts

him in position to reveal the real, in the mode of ordering, as standing-reserve." Enframing refers to the

process through which people attempt to extract exact scientific knowledge from their surroundings. It is

beneficial to think of enframing as what Heidegger refers to as a challenging claim since it challenges us
to put the bits of the world around us together. Heidegger also addresses that technology is a mode of

revelation. Technology thus discloses the world's truth, and revealing refers to something that gives or

expresses itself. All technologies, however, are not made equal, and therefore not all revealing is the

same. Social media and other communication technologies hinder our capacity to be recognized by

others. Because we have neglected our interaction with the outside world and one another, we become

the opposite of who we are when we use social media, and truth does not prevail.

Overall, our conduct and ideologies are influenced by what we consume. For Heidegger,

technology isn't necessarily bad. It enables us to see things as they emerge systematically and we can

comprehend them as resources for the future. By addressing the fundamental nature of technology, we

establish a method of thinking and create free relationships. Understanding essence is primitive because

it determines how we use something and how we ought to use it. We must use technology to express our

true selves that are not deliberately altered by it. Social media and other technologies can improve our

lives, but they shouldn't replace our primary mode of interaction with the outside world. It is for us to

utilize, not to let it use us.

References:

https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/philosophy-of-technology/0/steps/26315

https://english.hawaii.edu/criticalink/heidegger/guide1.html

https://www.google.com/search?

q=the+question+concerning+technology+by+martin+heidegger&oq=&aqs=chrome.2.69i59i450l8.4720

523j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-

8&safe=active&ssui=on#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:1549c78e,vid:gaVmEN-vGWk,st:0

https://simondon.ocular-witness.