The primary goal of this thesis is to show that Martin Heidegger's philosophy of technology stems directly from his ontology. Specifically that his notion of technology, as the enframing destining spirit of this age, is a revelation of being itself as technology in this age. The thesis begins with an introduction that sets up the major points and briefly summarizes each of the chapters. Chapter I primarily deals with the question of what motivates Heidegger to reflect philosophically on technology. This idea is also broadened to include the basic experiences and concepts that might cause anyone to reflect on technology. The historical, scientific, metaphysical, practical, personal, and spiritual are the motivational forces that drive someone to philosophize about technology. This is shown through an analysis of selected works from Iain Thomson, Don Ihde, W.P.S. Dias, and Hubert Dreyfus. The chapter ends with a return to the notion of being. Chapter II mainly deals with a textual analysis of the introduction to Being and Time, and The Question Concerning Technology. The idea of being is examined in detail, and a workable notion of being is extracted from the text. Then Heidegger's philosophy of technology is explained using the QCT. These ideas are put together and it is shown that technology is being as the destining of this present age. Yet technology poses a danger to being, and indeed to humanity. The third chapter examines the alternatives to this danger in the form of Heidegger's saving power, as discussed in his essay The Turning. The lesser dangers of technology are also reconsidered, as the truth of Heidegger's answer comes to light. The truth of the saving power is that releasement towards a new destining will surmount the danger of technology. Yet this reveals that being takes a care for humanity, and this opens up the path for the unconcealing of God's active power in the world of technology. Ultimately, only God can save humanity from the danger of technology, but He will only be revealed through the new destining revealing of being.

This thesis outlines one's overcoming of nihilism by consulting two figures, Martin Heidegger and John Dewey. Each thinker holds a pivotal role for art, such that, a turn to the aesthetic allows the individual to overcome this nihilistic age. I intend to show that Heidegger and Dewey mutually inform each other's project. Heidegger is able to shed light on Dewey's project; however, Dewey ultimately takes Heidegger's thought a step further. Heidegger understands the current age to be overcome with nihilism as a consequence of modern technological enframing as well the end of classical religious sensibilities. Heidegger, like Dewey, relies on aesthetics to correct this dilemma. Because of Heidegger's diagnosis of the problem, we can see a new context for Dewey's thought. Dewey does not speak in the language of nihilism, however, through Heidegger, we can see that they share a similar concern. Where Dewey takes Heidegger's thought a step forward is in regard to Dewey's emphasis on personal experience. This emphasis shifts the responsibility of overcoming nihilism away from Heidegger's poet and onto the individual. Dewey understands aesthetics to be a process of experience and art to be the culmination of this experience. This shift in responsibility is placed upon the individual because the individual is the arbiter of their doings and sole recipient of their undergoings. Consequently, the individual bears the consequences, and therefore the responsibility, of their experiences. Meaning, each individual holds the tools necessary to overcome nihilism inherent in one's own experience. The name for the process of properly weathering one's doings and undergoings is called the aesthetic life. The turn to personal responsibility, in the aesthetic life, allows the people to be the genesis of change rather than necessitating a leader, or poet. A community of people engaged in the aesthetic life is understood as democracy. Dewey's formulation of democracy, then, is not only a work of art but it also prevents the return of nihilism through the creation of a society always creating more possibility for its citizens.

Diss.--Universität Tübingen, 2000.

Texte remanié de: Ph. D. diss.--Aarhus, 2002. / Bibliogr. p. 207-223. Index.

Diss.--Philosophische Fakultät--Eichstätt, Ingolstadt--Katholische Universität, 2005. / Bibliogr. p. 293-312.

Texte remanié de: Th. de doct.--Liège, 1999. / Bibliogr. p. 491-524.

Texte remanié de: Diss.--Fakultät für Linguistik und Literaturwissenschaft--Universität Bielefeld, 2002. / Bibliogr. p. 168-172.

Zugl.: Köln, Univ., Diss., 2007

Inaug.-diss.--Munich. / "Literaturverzeichnis": p. 153-157.

Diss.--Freie Universität Berlin. / Bibliography: p. 403-409.