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- Heidegger was а 20th-century German philosopher,
associated typically with existentialism.
- His writings are notoriously difficult to read, but plow
through the dense discourse and you'll find some
valuable insights.
Existentialism
Existentialism is a Philosophy that emphasizes
- individual existence,
- freedom and
- choice.
It is the view that humans
- define their own meaning in life, and
- try to make rational decisions despite existing in an
irrational universe.
Existentialism
1. Human free will
2. Human nature is chosen through life choices.
3. There are things that are not rational.
4. Personal responsibility and discipline are crucial
5. Worldly desire is futile.
6. Wealth, pleasure, or honor make a good life.
7. Society's values or structure control the individual.
8. All you can do is accept things the way they are.
9. Science can and will make everything better.
10. People are basically good but are ruined by society or other
external forces.
Technology reveals the Truth of the world
o The Greek concept of the essence of technology was
investigated by Martin Heidegger.
• The meaning of technology for the Greeks was assumed to be
part of our everyday life.
1. Technology is a "means to an end".
o An activity or process is done in order to accomplish a goal
- Ex. target benefits for the use of technology in a classroom
like computers, measuring devices
o a method or instrument used to obtain a result
- Ex. computer literacy
o a tool for achieving business objectives but not necessarily
the answer in itself
Technology reveals the Truth of the world
● The first definition treated technology as an instrument to
achieve a purpose or end.
- For example.: Student A bought a laptop and
smartphone to be used for online learning since students
were not allowed to attend a face to face learning. The
to achieve his/her purpose which is to participate in
online learning.
Technology reveals the Truth of the world
2. Technology is a human activity.
o Technology can also be defined as a human activity
because to achieve an end and to produce and use a
means to an end is, by itself, a human activity.
Technology reveals the Truth of the world
● Technology is a human activity.
● The second definition pointed out that technology is part
of our daily activities of the human person which is to
invent technology such as gadgets for online learning,
protective equipment to fight COVID-19, agricultural
machines to produce foods and etc.
Technology reveals the Truth of the world
● The two definitions of technology are interconnected with
each other in such a way that the outcomes of human
activities are meant to serve its purpose.
● However, this definition of technology became
problematic when technology does not serve its purpose
(essence).
● For example,
- Imagine that COVID-19 will die naturally. You might think
that those PPEs and gadgets for learning are
meaningless because the purpose is not being served.
- The revival of face to face learning will make a gadget
for online learning less significant in the traditional
classroom.
The "Essence" of Modern Technology according to Martin
Heidegger
- In his essay "The Question Concerning Technology,"
Heidegger asks, what is the "essence" of technology?
- Directing that question at modern technology, especially
powerful machines, he gives the following answer:
"enframing."
Enframing - is putting something on a frame
Enframing according to Heidegger
- Enframing ('Ge-stell' in German) -A way of ordering and
a confining way to view technology.
- Limits technology as a tool.
- Modern technology views everything as a resource:
challenging revealing and using technology as a means
to an end.
Example of Enframing
which isolates a river and transforms it into a power
source.
Technology as Art
- Ultimately, Heidegger wanted to revive an earlier
understanding of technology.
- According to Heidegger, understanding technology as
enframing-turning everything into a consumable or
disposable resource-ignores a more holistic
understanding of technology.
- As he points out, technology, etymologically speaking,
means artistic skill or craftsmanship (from the ancient
Greek word techne, from which we also get the words
technique and technics):
Technology as a Relationship
- According to Heidegger, as an art, technology is more
than a thing.
- It's a relationship as well-an aesthetic and ethical way of
relating to nature and society.
- If that insight is right, then as we use technology to
extract resources, we should also make sure we're not
inflicting damage in the process-for instance, on the
environment (dumping pollution).
Technology as a Relationship
- As a philosopher, what Heidegger was implying is that.
at the end of the day, we can't separate technology from
human values. And really, that's what the philosophy of
technology is all about.
The Good Life
- In its basic form, living the good life is all about the
exploration of that which gives you joy and satisfaction.
- It's about finding purpose and meaning in your life and
drawing happiness from that which you do.
- Every human being aspires to live a good life.... The
good life is right in front of you.
Eudaimonia
- Eudaimonia (Greek: [eudaimonía:]; sometimes
anglicized as εὐδαιμονία eudemonia, eudaemonia or
/ju:dr'mounia/) is a Greek word commonly translated as
'happiness' or 'welfare'; however, more accurate
translations have been proposed to be 'human
flourishing, prosperity' and 'blessedness'.