Philosophy of Technology

Andrew Feenberg

Spring 2003

 

This course will introduce philosophy of technology through literature, major texts in the Continental tradition, and recent approaches to technology studies. 

 

Readings:

 

Articles in Reader:

Pinch and Bijker, "The Social Construction of Facts and Artifacts"

Habermas, “Technology and Science as ‘Ideology’”

Latour, “Where are the Missing Masses?”

Foucault, “Truth and Power,” “The Subject and Power”

Feenberg, “Democratic Rationalization”

Feenberg, “Marcuse and the Critique of Technology”

Heidegger, “Traditional Language and Technological Language”

Dreyfus, “Heidegger on Gaining a Free Relation to Technology”

 

Books:

Heidegger, Basic Writings

Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man

Feenberg, Questioning Technology

Huxley, Brave New World

Bellamy, Looking Backward

 

Reading List

 

1. Feenberg, “Democratic Rationalization,” Feenberg, Questioning Technology, preface, chap. 1

2. Bellamy, Looking Backward

3. Huxley, Brave New World

4. Heidegger, “Traditional Language and Technological Language,” Dreyfus, “Heidegger on Gaining a Free Relation to Technology,” Feenberg, Questioning Technology, chap. 8

5. Heidegger, Basic Writings, “The Question Concerning Technology”

6. Heidegger, Basic Writings, “The Origin of the Work of Art,” “Building Dwelling Thinking”

7. Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man

8. Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man

9. Habermas, “Technology and Science as ‘Ideology,’” Feenberg, Questioning Technology, chap. 7

10. Foucault, “Truth and Power,” “The Subject and Power”

11. Pinch and Bijker, "The Social Construction of Facts and Artifacts," Latour, “Where are the Missing Masses?”

12. Feenberg, Questioning Technology, chaps. 2-4

13. Feenberg, Questioning Technology, chaps. 5,6,9