A Philosophy of Technology: From Technical Artefacts to Sociotechnical Systems (Synthesis Lectures on Engineers, Technology, and Society)

Description

In A Philosophy of Technology: From Technical Artefacts to Sociotechnical Systems, technology is analysed from a series of different perspectives. The analysis starts by focussing on the most tangible products of technology, called technical artefacts, and then builds step-wise towards considering those artefacts within their context of use, and ultimately as embedded in encompassing sociotechnical systems that also include humans as operators and social rules like legislation. Philosophical characterisations are given of technical artefacts, their context of use and of sociotechnical systems. Analyses are presented of how technical artefacts are designed in engineering and what types of technological knowledge is involved in engineering. And the issue is considered how engineers and others can or cannot influence the development of technology. These characterisations are complemented by ethical analyses of the moral status of technical artefacts and the possibilities and impossibilities for engineers to influence this status when designing artefacts and the sociotechnical systems in which artefacts are embedded. The running example in the book is aviation, where aeroplanes are examples of technical artefacts and the world aviation system is an example of a sociotechnical system. Issues related to the design of quiet aeroplane engines and the causes of aviation accidents are analysed for illustrating the moral status of designing, and the role of engineers therein. Table of Contents: Technical Artefacts / Technical Designing / Ethics and Designing / Technological Knowledge / Sociotechnical Systems / The Role of Social Factors in Technological Development / Ethics and Unintended Consequences of Technology Introduction......Page 1 A World Made by Humans......Page 13 Technical Artefacts and Natural Objects......Page 15 Technical Artefacts and Social Objects......Page 19 Technical Functions......Page 22 The Moral Status of Technical Artefacts......Page 24 Conclusion: The Dual Nature of Technical Artefacts......Page 26 A Few More Issues......Page 28 Characterising Technical Designing......Page 29 The Structure of Technical Designing......Page 34 Reasoning in Technical Designing......Page 36 Engineers, Designers, Users and Other Roles......Page 41 Conclusion......Page 44 A Few More Issues......Page 45 Ethics......Page 47 Engineers as Designers of Actions......Page 49 Values and the Design Process......Page 52 The Development of Quieter Aeroplane Engines......Page 54 Regulative Frameworks......Page 57 Conclusion......Page 60 A Few More Issues......Page 61 Engineers and Knowledge......Page 63 What Engineers Know: Two Examples......Page 65 Forms and Features of Technological Knowledge......Page 67 A Few More Issues......Page 74 Hybrid Systems......Page 75 System Roles for People: User and Operator......Page 78 Rules and Coordination Mechanisms......Page 80 System Designs and System Boundaries......Page 82 The Mid-Air Collision Above Überlingen......Page 84 System Design and Controllability......Page 86 A Few More Issues......Page 88 Utopian and Dystopian Views of Technological Development......Page 91 Technological Determinism......Page 94 Social Constructivism......Page 97 The Role of Physical-Technical and Social Factors in Designing......Page 103 The Evolution of Civil Aviation......Page 107 Conclusion......Page 108 A Few More Issues......Page 109 Unintended Consequences and Risks......Page 111 Sociotechnical Systems and Responsibility......Page 115 Technology as a Social Experiment......Page 120 A Few More Issues......Page 123 Bibliography......Page 125 Authors' Biographies......Page 129 Index......Page 131