Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Technology and disability are both terms laden with associations, values, meanings and even myths. This becomes clear in this research when both terms are described in the first part, and the various understandings of the terms are explained. When the two terms are considered in relation to each other, the result is a series of questions and ethical problems. In this assignment the focus is specifically on these questions and ethical problems that arise out of the relationship between technology and disability. The research is not done from a natural science perspective (with regard to technology) and lor a medical perspective (with regards to disability), but from a philosophical-ethical perspective. The main aim of this research is to think about what the role of technology is in the life of the disabled in general and what ethical questions arise from it. To form a philosophical-ethical perspective the question is asked: should technology be accepted unequivocally as something that always contributes to the humanization of the disabled? More specifically the assignment focuses on the issue: does cochlear implants contribute to the humanization of the deaf? The potential problematic relationship between the concepts is clear from the separate discussions. The limitations and problems of cochlear implants as an example of technology is shown when it is placed within the framework of a humanizing relationship. It is clear that technology can not be accepted unequivocally as something that always contributes to the humanization of the disabled. The research emphasizes that disability is much more than physical limitations and that compensating for the limitations through technology does not always address all the aspects of a disabled person's life - and can consequently have a dehumanizing effect. A more holistic approach is considered - one in which all the aspects of being human is addressed. The unique challenges of the South African context is discussed shortly and in conclusion the necessity of an "ethics of responsibility" is shown. Reflection on technology and disability is in the end reflection on life and the mysteries of life. Disability that reminds us of our limitations and shortcomings, also reminds us that life is not in our control and that a big part of living is an unsolvable riddle, a mystery. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tegnologie en gestremdheid is twee gelade terme. Beide verwys na 'n omvangryke wêreld en potensiële probleme. Dit word duidelik in hierdie ondersoek wanneer beide terme omskryf word in die eerste afdeling, en die verskillende verstaansmoontlikhede van die terme uitgewys word. Waar die twee terme in verband met mekaar gebring word, ontstaan daar uiteindelik 'n hele string vrae en etiese probleme. In hierdie skripsie word daar spesifiek op hierdie vrae en etiese probleme, wat ontstaan uit die verhouding tussen tegnologie en gestremdheid, gefokus. Die ondersoek vind nie plaas vanuit 'n suiwer natuurwetenskaplike perspektief (mbt tegnologie) en/of mediese perspektief (mbt gestremdheid) nie, maar vanuit 'n filosofies-etiese perspektief. Om 'n filosofies-etiese perspektief te vorm, word die vraag gevra: moet tegnologie ongekwalifiseerd aanvaar word as iets wat altyd bydra tot die humanisering van die gestremdes? Meer spesifiek word dan ondersoek ingestel na die vraag: dra kogleêre inplantings by tot die humanisering van die dowe? Die vernaamste doel met hierdie ondersoek is dus om na te dink oor wat die rol van tegnologie in die lewe van gestremdes in die algemeen is en watter etiese kwessies dit oproep. Die problematiek rondom dowes en kogleêre inplantings gaan as 'n spesifieke voorbeeld bekyk word. Die begrippe tegnologie en gestremdheid word eers omskryf in die ondersoek. Die potensiële problematiek tussen die verhouding tussen die twee terme (en wêrelde) blyk reeds uit die afsonderlike bespreking van die terme. Die verhouding waarin tegnologie en gestremdheid tot mekaar staan word uitgelig deur sekere voorbeelde te noem, en dan word daar spesifiek op kogleêre inplantings gefokus. Die beperkings en problematiek van kogleêre inplantings as spesifieke tegnologie word duidelik wanneer dit binne die raamwerk van die vraag gestel word of dit 'n humaniserende verhouding is. Dit is duidelik dat tegnologie nie ongekwalifiseerd aanvaar kan word as iets wat altyd bydra tot die humanisering van die gestremdes nie. Die ondersoek beklemtoon uiteindelik dat gestremdheid veel meer behels as blote liggaamlike gebreke en dat die kompensasie daarvoor deur tegnologie nie altyd as humaniserend ervaar word nie. 'n Meer holistiese benadering word bepleit - een waarin alle fasette van die mens (gestremde) se behoeftes aangespreek word. Die unieke uitdagings wat dit inhou vir ons Suid-Afrikaanse konteks word kortliks bespreek en ten slotte word daar gewys op die noodsaaklikheid van 'n letiek van verantwoordelikheid'. Nadenke oor tegnologie en gestremdheid is uiteindelik nadenke oor die lewe en oor die geheimenisse daarvan. Gestremdheid wat ons herinner aan ons tekortkominge en beperkinge, herinner ons ook daaraan dat die lewe 'n misterie is.

Thesis (DSc (Sociology and Social Anthropology. Centre for Research on Science and Technology))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the fundamental question about the technical relationship is investigated. The term ‘technology’ was found to be misused out of contexts by various disciplinary authors. Some authors used it for the notion that could better be described as artefacts. Consequently what was called ‘technology transfer’ was little more than artefactual transfer. Others concentrated on production and design that could better be described by techno-practice. Still others confused so-called ‘technological knowledge’ with what could be described as techno-knowledge and techno-literacy. A survey of notions of the authors in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), especially those that focussed on technology was done and it was found that the following elements were identifiable: Techno-practice for the ‘practice’ of the making, forming, designing and maintaining of artefacts. For this was required Technoknowledge, for the know-how and experience in making, and maintaining these artefacts. Furthermore the element of Techno-science for the technical science that was recording knowledge from different sciences like mathematics, physics and electronics etc. to help in the solutions of techno-practice was identified. Lastly technoliteracy was distinguished from techno-knowledge, indicating the capability to use artefacts without necessarily having the knowledge to fix them. Driving a car but not being able to fix it sounds like a good example. The result of techno-practice is normally an artefact. What was interesting, is that many saw the result of technology as technology. Many associate an artefact with the process of techno-practice under the term ‘technology’. An amazing paradigmparalysis was found that could not distinguish the technical from the technological and cannot be better illustrated than by the biased statement: “Clearly computers are technology…” where-as clearly computers are artefacts, the result of a technical design and production process. Lastly the transcendental empirical method was used to consider the ontic (transcendental) conditions required for this technical relationship and it was described in an ontological, anthropological and societal framework. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die studie is die grondvraag na die tegniese verwantskap ondersoek. Daar is gevind dat die term ‘tegnologie’ buite konteks misbruik word deur verskeie vakwetenskaplike outeurs. Sommige gebruik dit vir wat beter aangedui kan word met die term artefakt. Gevolglik is wat genoem was ‘tegnologie-oordrag’ eintlik beter beskryf met die terme artefakt oordrag. Ander het konsentreer op produksie en ontwerp wat eintlik beter beskryf kan word met die term tegno-praktyk. Sogenaamde ‘tegnologiese kennis’ is verder verwar met wat eintlik beter beskryf kan word as tegniese kennis en tegniese geletterdheid. ‘n Oorsig van terme en gebruike van outeurs in die veld van wetenskap en tegnologie studies (STS) veral diegene wat op ‘tegnologie’ gekonsentreer het, het die volgende elemente ge-identifiseer. Tegno-praktyk vir die praktyk van vervaardiging, ontwerp en instandhouding van artefakte. Tegniese kennis (tegno-kennis) vir die ondervinding van vorming en instandhouding van die artefakte. Tegniese wetenskap (tegno-wetenskap) vir die wetenskap wat kennis aangaande die tegniese proses byeenbring uit ander wetenskappe soos wiskunde, fisika en elektronika, byvoorbeeld om tegniese probleme op te los en moontlikhede te skep. Laastens was tegniese geletterdheid onderskei van tegniese kennis soos om ‘n motor te kan bestuur sonder om dit noodwendig te kan herstel. Die gevolg van tegno-praktyk is gewoonlik ‘n artefakt. Wat interessant was is die feit dat verskeie die resultaat van ‘tegnologie’ as ‘tegnologie’ beskou het. Baie gevalle van waar ‘n artefakt gelykgestel was aan die proses van tegno-praktyk was opgemerk natuurlik onder die term ‘tegnologie’. ‘n Verbasende paradigma versteendheid was gevind waar outeurs nie die onderskeid tussen die tegniese en tegnologiese kon onderskei nie. In ‘n sekere sin kan dit nie beter geïllustreer word as die volgende bevooroordeelde stelling dat dit tog ‘…duidelik is dat rekenaars tegnologie is…’ terwyl dit ewe-eens duidelik is dat rekenaars eintlik artefakte is, die resultaat van ‘n ontwerp en vervaardigingsproses. Laastens is die transendentaal empiriese metode gebruik om die onties (transendentale) struktuurvoorwaardes vir die tegniese verwantskap in ag te neem en daarna is dit beskryf in ‘n ontologiese, (wysgerig) antropologiese en samelewingsraamwerk.

The explosive growth of technology today is causing extensive speculation about the future. These ‘technological futurisms’—especially transhumanism—are often imbued with religious value by their adherents. How should Christians respond to the content of technological futurisms and also the way the future is constructed? In this thesis I argue that Christian eschatology has a more robust understanding of the future than technological futurism, as championed by transhumanism, and can allow for radical hope while also maintaining important humanistic virtues which are ultimately lost in transhumanism. Christian eschatology does not only depend on what is actual to create its future. Rather, it is open to the God of possibility and promise who can bring the radically new in the Kingdom of God. This dissertation is broken into three major sections with an introductory and concluding chapter. The first section provides a history of our technological imagination today by looking at visionary approaches to technology and the future in both technological utopias and science fiction. This history provides the conditions for understanding the proposed future of transhumanism. The second section orients the final response by assessing technology and the future in the eschatologies of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Jacques Ellul. Both Teilhard and Ellul agree that the technological future without appeal to the Christian God is dangerous. The final section looks at the theological and philosophical issues surrounding technology and the future. Heidegger’s works are used to sharpen themes related to technology and the future; in particular, how technology is related to ontology and how the future is related to possibility. The final chapters construct a Christian response to transhumanism around the themes of possibility and promise by utilising the works of Richard Kearney, Eberhard Jüngel and Jürgen Moltmann. A Christian notion of possibility allows for the radically new in a way transhumanism does not and the Christian idea of promise safeguards human virtues by emphasising the interpersonal as ultimate rather than self-transcendence as with transhumanism.

In this research report I examine the current approaches to the design of technology against the development of the Golden Shield project, as undertaken by the Chinese government. The Golden Shield technology is designed to control all forms of electronic communication, including social media technologies. I argue that the current approaches to the design of technology are inadequate. There is a need to include moral values as a consideration in the design of social media technologies, specifically when human well-being is impacted. I offer the capabilities approach as a solution that the designers of technology ought to consider as an option when designing technology as this approach defines conditions for human well-being. I define informational freedom as a capability. Excluding informational freedom in the design of social media technology leads to the user of the technology suffering harm as they are unable to fulfill the capability of informational freedom.

Abstract not available

Please read the abstract in the section 08summary, of this document / Dissertation (MA (Philosophy))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Philosophy / unrestricted

Critical theory cannot say, today, what the rise of new technologies is changing for the socio-political order. By reducing the impact of digital technology to the specific interests of those who exploit it, the constructivist approach to technology only gives a segmental and tactical vision of its issues. Furthermore, if they indeed diagnose ruptures in practices and representations, epistemological analyzes of digital technology remain silent as to the structurally political dimension of these transformations, however radical. This thesis therefore proposes to articulate these critiques with an epistemic, unified postulate of the impact of digital transformation on the implicit theoretical framework which underlies the legitimacy (and even more profoundly, the condition of possibility) of liberal democracy. It puts the critical theory of technology into perspective using a classic approach to political theory, which consists of recalling the contingency and dependence of regimes on a certain social reality (relevant not only to practices but to symbolic, epistemic order that results from it). The political issues of technology are thus approached through the notion of the imaginary - not only to show the influence of digital transformation on the representations which form the basis of the common world, but to affirm that the fundamentally political issue of digital technology is above all a poetic issue: we must restore to theory its creative power, to dare to imagine a socio-political landscape, and an ideal horizon, radically transformed. Une relecture des enjeux politiques du numérique: la technologie et la production de l'imaginaire social La théorie critique ne sait pas dire, aujourd’hui, ce que change l’essor des nouvelles technologies pour l’ordre socio-politique. En réduisant l’impact du numérique aux intérêts ponctuels de ceux qui l’instrumentalisent, l’approche constructiviste de la technologie ne donne de ses enjeux qu’une vision segmentaire et tactique. Par ailleurs, si elles diagnostiquent bien des ruptures dans les pratiques et les représentations, les analyses épistémologiques du numérique demeurent muettes quant à la dimension structurellement politique de ces transformations pourtant radicales.Cette thèse propose donc d’articuler ces critiques à un postulat épistémique, unifié, de l’impact de la transformation numérique sur le cadre théorique implicite qui sous-tend la légitimité (et plus profondément encore, la condition de possibilité) de la démocratie libérale. Elle met en perspective la théorie critique de la technologie à l’aide d’une approche classique de la théorie politique, qui consiste à rappeler la contingence et la dépendance des régimes à une certaine réalité sociale (relevant non seulement des pratiques mais de l’ordre symbolique, épistémique qui en découle). Les enjeux politiques de la technologie sont ainsi abordés au travers de la notion d’imaginaire — pas seulement pour montrer l’influence de la transformation numérique sur les représentations qui fondent le monde commun, mais pour affirmer que l’enjeu fondamentalement politique du numérique est avant tout un enjeu poétique : il faut rendre à la théorie sa puissance créatrice, pour oser imaginer un paysage socio-politique, et un horizon idéel, radicalement transformés.

Philosophers of technology have often considered only the tools and processes used and conducted by humans, but natural structures and man-made structures are not always easily discernable from one another. The complexity of a spider web is not matched by many human-made technologies. Beaver dams, beehives, and ant hills are great creations made by non-human animals. Davis Baird has argued that our scientific instruments bear knowledge in important ways, and the idea of technological knowledge bears interestingly on discussions of natural artifacts. Baird thinks his argument for instruments bearing knowledge can be extended, but how far can it be taken? Do "natural" technologies, like spider webs, bear technological knowledge of some sort? This move to consider whether natural artifacts might bear knowledge rubs interestingly against current definitions of technology which include human agency or progression as important. If we find that some natural artifacts seem to bear knowledge in the way Baird describes, technological knowledge would not be the exclusive domain of humans. Our current definitions of technology seem incongruent with our view of knowledge and our knowledge of natural artifacts. The purpose of this paper is to sort out the inconsistencies between current philosophical literature on knowledge and on technology. In sorting out the inconsistencies we find, I recommend a spectrum approach with regard to technology based on the epistemological status of the artifact. Using observations from anthropology and biology, I suggest a scale with regard to technological behavior, tool use, and technology. / Master of Science

Die Welt wird beherrscht durch Veränderung. Von den kleinsten Elementarteilchen bis zu den größten Galaxien kann man ein Entstehen und Vergehen beobachten. Diese Regel schließt auch die lebende Materie mit ein. Wir sehen Bäume wachsen oder das Getreide auf den Feldern reifen und wir müssen erkennen, daß auch wir, die Menschen, diesem Gesetz der Veränderung, dieser Vergänglichkeit unterliegen....

Thesis (PhD) -- Macquarie University, Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy, Dept. of Sociology, 2008. / Bibliography: p. 233-248. / Academic vessels: STS and HPS -- SSK : scientism as empirical relativism -- Latour and actor-network-theory -- Tensions and dilemmas in science studies -- Kuhn - paradigm of an uncritical turn -- Critical theory of technology: Andrew Feenberg -- Critical theory and science studies: Jürgen Habermas -- Concluding remarks: normativity and synthesis. / Science Studies is an interdisciplinary area of scholarship comprising two different traditions, the philosophical History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) and the sociological Science and Technology Studies (STS). The elementary tension between the two is based on their differing scholarly values, one based on philosophy, the other on sociology. This tension has been both animating the field of Science Studies and complicating its internal self-understanding. --This thesis sets out to reconstruct the main episodes in the history of Science Studies that have come to formulate competing constructions of the cultural value and meaning of science and technology. It tells a story of various failed efforts to resolve existing antimonies and suggests that the best way to grapple with the complexity of the issues at stake is to work towards establishing a common ground and dialogue between the rival disciplinary formations: HPS and STS. --First I examine two recent theories in Science Studies, Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) and Actor-Network Theory (ANT). Both of them are found to be inadequate as they share a distorted view of the HPS-STS divide and both try to colonise the sociology of science with the tools of HPS. The genesis of this colonizing impulse is then traced back to the Science Wars which again is underpinned by a lack of clarity about the HPS-STS relationship. This finding further highlights the responsibility of currently fashionable theories such as ANT that have contributed to this deficit of understanding and dialogue. / This same trend is then traced to the work of Thomas Kuhn. He is credited with moderate achievements but recent re-evaluations of his work point to his culpability in closing the field to critical possibilities, stifling the sociological side and giving rise to a distorted view of the HPS-STS relationship as seen in SSK and ANT. Now that the origins of the confused and politically divided state of Science Studies is understood, there is the urgent task of re-establishing a balance and dialogue between the HPS and the STS sides. --I use two important theoretical threads in critical theory of science and technology to bring clarity to the study of these interrelated yet culturally distinct practices. Firstly I look at the solid line of research established by Andrew Feenberg in the critical theory of technology that uses social constructivism to subvert the embedded values in the technical code and hence democratize technology. --Secondly I look at the work of Jürgen Habermas's formidable Critical Theory of science that sheds light on the basic human interests inside science and technology and establishes both the limits and extent to which social constructivism can be used to study them. --Together Feenberg and Habermas show the way forward for Science Studies, a way to establish a common ground that enables close scholarly dialogue between HPS and STS yet understands and maintains the critical difference between the philosophical and the sociological approaches that prevents them from being collapsed into one indistinguishable entity. Together they can restore the HPS-STS balance and through their shared emancipatory vision for society facilitate the bringing of science and technology into a democratic societal oversight, correcting the deficits and shortcomings of recent theories in the field of Science Studies. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / vii, 248 p