Technology and Social Change

Inleiding

Register now for the course Technology and Social Change

Content

Technology evidently enables us to control, organize and optimize the activities and functions of our everyday lives. However, a classical critique in the Philosophy of Technology is that technology also creates a distance between us (as individuals), and the surrounding world. In this regard, the great developments in technology arguably lead to the illusion that everything around us is controllable, rendering us ‘safe’ at a distance. Other approaches focus instead on the mediating and connecting function of technology, which opens up new ways of experiencing and communicating. Some of the questions that motivate this course are: does technology really help us to disclose the world and connect with others, or rather does it alienate us from nature, others and even ourselves?  How is society affected by technology? Are we shaping technology or does technology shape us and our social lives? 
 
To tackle these problems, we first have to ask what do we mean when we talk about ‘technology’. This implies a reflection on the development of technology and its changing meaning, function and role within society; from machines of mass production to virtual communication and the digital realm. This course offers an introduction into the different perspectives on how to understand the relationship between technology and the social lifeworld of human beings; to question, how do technological developments and social changes interact?
 
We will track the parallel changes of technologies and societies by analyzing and comparing texts and concepts within the Philosophy of Technology and recent STS, like ‘alienation’, ‘mediation’, ‘network’ as well as ‘technological determinism’, ‘domestication’ and ‘social shaping’. These concepts and approaches will be illustrated by focusing on recent developments in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the internet more broadly. Finally, we will discuss possible approaches to an ethics of technology.

Lectures will be recorded. 

Prior knowledge

Prior knowledge is not necessary. 

Language

English

Period

Bachelor 2, block 1 A; 29 August until 1 October 2022

Course guide & literature

 For more information please consult the course guide.  The timetables will be published by the end of July.