Philosophy of Science and Technology Chapter 4

• Martin Heidegger, a German philosopher, wrote about the essence of technology in "The Question Concerning Technology".
• Heidegger conceives modern technology as an instrumental way of revealing the world, where it is a means to achieve ends.
• The essence of technology is not something humans make, but rather a mode of being or revealing.
• Technology holds sway over beings, including gods and history, and is primarily a matter of modern and industrial technology.
• Technology is not simply the practical application of natural science.
• Modern technology's mode of revealing is characterized as "challenging", where nature is put to an unreasonable demand to supply energy that can be extracted and stored.
• Mining technology is an example of this challenging mode, where tracks of land are revealed as something that can be demanded for coal and ore.
• The challenging mode of modern technology is also characterized as "expediting", where action or process is 100% accomplished and something is unlocked or exposed for maximum yield at minimum expense.
• Heidegger terms things revealed in modern technology as "standing in reserve", where they are not objects with autonomy but rather resources to be used efficiently.
• The "essence" of modern technology is "enframing", where the world is centered on human desires and demands, and nature is put in a frame to be understood and controlled.
• Eudaimonia, or human flourishing, is achieved through virtue, knowledge, and excellence, and is central to Confucian humanism.
• The three motivating parts of the soul/mind are rational, spirited or emotional, and appetitive, each with their own desired ends, and Eudaimonia requires an ordering of this tripartite structure.
• Eudaimonia is constituted by rational activity in virtues of character, intellectual virtues, mutual beneficial friendships, and scientific knowledge.
• Aristotle's view is that all humans seek to flourish, and the proper end of our actions is to understand something's function by understanding its nature.
• To flourish, a man must pursue goals that are both rational for him individually and as a human being.

Explore the relationship between science, technology, and humanity. Reflect on the essence of technology and its impact on our world. Learn about Martin Heidegger's philosophical views on technology.