From Electrons and Logic Gates to Everyday Life: On the Asymmetry of Technological Devices

Albert Borgmann

Synesis: A Journal of Science, Technology, Ethics, and Policy 2013; 4: T4-8

Information technology has increased in power and complexity over the last few decades. What impact has this had on individuals and on society? One might be tempted to believe that a new flourishing is upon us, or that the new products have ushered in an age of enlightenment. On the other hand, perhaps these tools have diminished what was once a vital and energetic engagement with the natural world. This article examines the impact that the new products of technology have had on the human condition, and asks how these instruments might be more usefully integrated into our everyday lives.

pdfbtn

Keywords: information technology, society, computers, philosophy