[STS] M1: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Martin Heidegger

A widely acknowledged German philosopher of the 20th century whose focus is on ontology of the study of ‘being’ or dasein (in German).

Martin Heidegger

“The essence of technology is by no means technological.”

Martin Heidegger

Continental tradition of philosophy, Joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP), Stern opposition to positivism and technological world domination; Philosophical works are often described as complicated.

The Question Concerning Technology

A work by Martin Heidegger, in which the author discusses the essence of technology.

"The Framework" (Das Gestell)

first presented on December 1, 1949, in Bremen, was presented as the second of four lectures, collectively called "Insight into what is." The other lectures were titled "The Thing" (Das Ding), "The Danger" (Die Gefahr), and "The Turning" (Die Kehre).

Vorträge und Aufsätze.

In The Question Concerning Technology, Heidegger originally published the text in 1954 in his book, ______.

The Essence of Technology

The question concerning technology is asked, as Heidegger notes, “so as to prepare a free relationship to it”. The relationship will be free “if it opens our human existence (Dasein) to the essence of technology”.

questioning

Thus, _______ uncovers technology in its (true) essence as it is; enabling it to be “experienced within its own bounds” by seeking “the true by way of the correct”.

what it is

Heidegger begins the question by noting that “We ask the question concerning technology when we ask _______”. This follows an ancient doctrine which states that “the essence of a thing is considered to be what the thing is”.

the instrumental and anthropological definition of technology”.

If technology is a means to a human end, this conception can therefore be called the “ ______”

Technology is a means to an end [and] a human activity

Martin Heidegger further states that “________”. This means humans set goals and use technology to achieve them.

means to an end

This leads to the question, “what is the instrumental itself?” In other words, it asks us to explore the nature of means and ends and to consider, “within what do such things as means and end belong?”. To simplify this context, technology is referred to as a “______” —it is something that humans use to achieve a specific goal or outcome.

end is also a cause

A means can be seen as that through and by which an end is effected. It is that “whereby something is effected and thus attained”. In essence, it can be seen as a cause, for “Whatever has an effect as its consequence is called a cause”. But an ______ to the extent that it determines the kind of means to be used to actualize it.

means

can also be considered as a cause because it brings out the outcome you’re aiming for.

ends (goal)

The ______ also act as a cause because it determines which means will be used. In essence, when we talk about using means to achieve ends, we are also talking about causality – how causes lead to effects.

technology

Hence, when we use ______ as a means to an end, we understand that this serves as a tool to help us achieve specific goals.

instrumentality

is about how tools and methods (means) are used to achieve specific goals (ends).

causality

This relationship between means and ends leads to ______, where both are interconnected, and their interaction helps to explain how actions lead to results. This will be further elaborated below.

Causa materialis

Causa formalis

Causa finalis

Causa efficiens

To question causality, Heidegger starts from what “for centuries philosophy has taught” regarding the traditional "four causes.”. These are traditionally enumerated as: (4)

Causa materialis

the material, the matter out of which something is made

Causa formalis

the form, the shape into which the material enters

Causa finalis

the end, in relation to which [the thing] required is determined as to its form and matter

Causa efficiens

which brings about the effect that is the finished [thing]

instrumentality, causality

Heidegger concludes that “what technology is, when represented as a means, discloses itself when we trace _____ back to fourfold _____". To explain this, Heidegger uses the example of a silver chalice. Each element works together to create the chalice in a different manner

presencing

Thus four ways of owing hold sway in the sacrificial vessel that lies ready before us. They differ from one another, yet they belong together. The four ways of being responsible bring something into appearance. They let it come forth into ______. They set it free to that place and so start it on its way, namely into its complete arrival.

bringing-forth

When the abovementioned four elements work together to create something into appearance

poiesis

This bringing-forth comes from the Greek ____, which "brings out of concealment into unconcealment".

aletheia

This process of revealing can be represented by the Greek word _____, which in English is translated as "truth". This truth has everything to do with the essence of technology because technology is a means of revealing the truth.

challenging-forth

The revealing of modern technology, therefore, is not bringing-forth, but rather ______. To exemplify this, Heidegger draws on the Rhine River as an example of how our modern technology can change a cultural symbol.

standing- reserve

To further his discussion of modern technology, Heidegger introduces the notion of ______. He suggests that modern technology turns people into resources that are simply available and waiting to be used.

Enframing

means the gathering together of that setting-upon that sets upon man, i.e., challenges him forth, to reveal the real, in the mode of ordering, as standing-reserve.

Enframing

means that way of revealing that holds sway in the essence of modern technology and that it is itself not technological.

Enframing

is a concept where modern technology urges us to see everything, including ourselves, as resources or tools to beused. It shapes how we perceive the world by making everything appear as a resource waiting to be used, but this way of seeing is not itself a technology.

Essence or the essence of technology

Once he has discussed enframing, Heidegger highlights the threat of technology. As he states, this threat "does not come in the first instance from the potentially lethal machines and apparatus of technology". Rather, the threat is the _____

it is finding truth

The question concerning technology, Heidegger concludes, is one "concerning the constellation in which revealing and concealing, in which the coming to presence of the truth comes to pass". In other words, _______.

Revealing, resisting, world building, syncing power

What are the aspects of Art by Martin Heidegger? (4)

Revealing

Discloses truth; open

Resisting

The controlling force of Modern Technology

Techne

Resembles the term episteme; Oasis that dissolves the truth.

Episteme

is the human ability to acquire, organize, and justify true knowledge through rational understanding and systematic inquiry.

Technological

Origin: “technic”, outward forms of technology