Philosophical Investigations of Technology and Human Experience
Summary
Philosophical investigations of technology and human experience examine how technological artefacts, systems and practices shape, mediate and transform human perception, agency and social relations. Drawing on traditions such as phenomenology, postphenomenology and new materialism, scholars explore the constitutive roles of technology in everyday life, ethics and politics. Phenomenological approaches focus on the lived experience of interacting with devices, analysing the ways technologies reveal or conceal dimensions of the world and the self. Postphenomenology extends this by articulating mediation theory, which attends to the intentional and functional aspects of technological engagement. New materialism challenges the human–non-human divide, emphasising the entanglement of humans, technologies and environment in co-constructing reality. Ethical debates range from neutrality and value-laden design to questions of autonomy, agency and responsibility, considering how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and wearables recalibrate power, identity and social norms. Globally, these inquiries inform the design of responsible innovation, guide policy on digital transformation and encourage reflexive practices to ensure technology aligns with human flourishing.
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Philosophical Investigations of Technology and Human Experience publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in philosophical investigations of technology and human experience across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Technological mediation: A postphenomenological concept describing how technologies shape human perception, action and interpretation of the world.
Neutrality Thesis: The philosophical claim that technology is morally neutral or intrinsically value-laden.
Techno-solutionism: The belief that social or political issues can be effectively resolved primarily through technological interventions.
New materialism: A theoretical framework emphasising the entanglement and mutual constitution of human and non-human entities.
References
- The entangled human being – a new materialist approach to anthropology of technology. AI and Ethics (2024).
- Technology and Neutrality. Philosophy & Technology (2023).
- Technological Remedies for Social Problems: Defining and Demarcating Techno-Fixes and Techno-Solutionism. Science and Engineering Ethics (2024).
- Phenomenology and the Empirical Turn: a Phenomenological Analysis of Postphenomenology. Philosophy & Technology (2016).
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