Invasive Technification

Critical Essays in the Philosophy of Technology

Technology has extended its reach to the human
body, not just in a literal sense, through implants, transplants and
technological substitutes for biological organs, but in a more figurative sense
too. Technological infrastructure and the institutions of a technified society today
determine what perception is, how we communicate and what forms of human
relationship with the natural world are possible. A fundamental new conception
of technology is urgently needed. Technology can no longer be seen as a means
for efficiently attaining pre-established ends. Rather, it must be seen as a total structure which makes new forms of
human action and human relationship possible, while limiting the possibilities
of others.

 

In Invasive
Technification, acclaimed German philosopher Gernot Böhme offers a reading
of technology that explores the many dimensions in which technology presents
challenges for modern human beings. It is a book about the preservation of
humanity and humane values under the demanding conditions of a technically
advanced civilisation and makes a major contribution to the contemporary
philosophy of technology.