A Companion to the Philosophy of Technology

A Companion to the Philosophy of Technology

Edited by

Jan Kyrre Berg Olsen, Stig Andur Pedersen and

Vincent F. Hendricks

A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication

This edition first published 2009 ? 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A companion to the philosophy of technology / edited by Jan Kyrre Berg Olsen, Stig Andur Pedersen, and Vincent F. Hendricks.

p. cm. -- (Blackwell companions to philosophy) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4051-4601-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Technology?Philosophy. I. Olsen, Jan Kyrre Berg. II. Pedersen, Stig Andur, 1943? III. Hendricks, Vincent F. IV. Title. V. Series.

T14.C5745 2009 601--dc22

2008044192

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Set in 10/12.5pt Photina by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd

1 2009

Contents

Notes on Contributors

xi

Introduction

1

Part I History of Technology

5

1 History of Technology

7

Thomas J. Misa

2 Definitions of Technology

18

Richard Li-Hua

3 Western Technology

23

Keld Nielsen

4 Chinese Technology

28

Francesca Bray

5 Islamic Technology

32

Thomas F. Glick

6 Japanese Technology

37

David Wittner

7 Technology and War

43

Bart Hacker

Part II Technology and Science

49

8 Technology and Science

51

Don Ihde

9 Science and Technology: Positivism and Critique

61

Hans Radder

10 Engineering Science

66

Louis L. Bucciarelli

v

contents

11 Technological Knowledge

70

Anthonie W. M. Meijers and Marc J. de Vries

12 The Interplay between Science and Technology

75

Bart Gremmen

13 Instruments in Science and Technology

78

Mieke Boon

14 Social Construction of Science

84

Harry Collins

15 Social Construction of Technology

88

Wiebe E. Bijker

16 Theory Change and Instrumentation

95

Joseph C. Pitt

17 Biology and Technology

99

Keekok Lee

18 Nuclear Technologies

104

William J. Nuttall

19 Engineering Design

112

Peter Kroes

20 Cybernetics

118

Andrew Pickering

21 Chemistry and Technology

123

Helge S. Kragh

Part III Technology and Philosophy

129

22 Introduction: Philosophy and Technology

131

Val Dusek

23 Semiotics of Technology

141

Robert E. Innis

24 Critical Theory of Technology

146

Andrew Feenberg

25 Cyborgs

154

Evan Selinger

26 Simulation

157

Evan Selinger

27 Technology as "Applied Science"

160

Robert C. Scharff

28 Technological Artifacts

165

Peter-Paul Verbeek and Pieter E. Vermaas

vi

29 Technical Practice Bart Gremmen

30 Technological Pragmatism Larry Hickman

31 Hermeneutics and Technologies Don Ihde

32 Analytic Philosophy of Technology Maarten Franssen

33 Technological Rationality Lorenzo C. Simpson

34 Phenomenology and Technology Iain Thomson

35 Expertise Evan Selinger

36 Imaging Technologies Don Ihde

37 The Critique of the Precautionary Principle and the Possibility for an "Enlightened Doomsaying" Jean-Pierre Dupuy

38 Technology and Metaphysics Jean-Pierre Dupuy

39 Large Technical Systems Erik van der Vleuten

40 Sociotechnical Systems Maarten Franssen and Peter Kroes

41 Information Technology Luciano Floridi

Part IV Technology and Environment

42 Technology and Environment Mary Tiles

43 The Precautionary Principle Andy Stirling

44 Boundary-work, Pluralism and the Environment Jozef Keulartz

45 Global Warming Sir John Houghton

contents 172 175 180 184 189 195 202 205

210 214 218 223 227

233 235 248 263 270

vii

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