Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science

Analytical Table of Contents.- Introduction: Some Questions for Philosophy of Technology.- Introduction: Some Questions for Philosophy of Technology.- [i.] Philosophy of Science.- [ii.] General Philosophy.- [iii.] Some Lessons for Philosophy of Technology.- I / Can Technological Development Be Regulated?.- Can Government Regulate Technology?.- [i. Ineffective Regulative Legislation].- [ii. Defects in Regulatory System].- [iii. Possible Improvements].- Social Implications of Recent Technological Innovations.- [i. Species-Wide Effects: Continuity or Discontinuity?].- [ii. World-Wide Factors].- [iii. World-Wide Failures].- [iv. Recent Scientific/Technological Developments as World-Wide Problems].- [v. Threats to Culture and Democracy from Technological Elites].- [vi. Conclusion: Science and Technology Cannot Be Neutral].- Technology and Human Rights.- [i. Technology and Global Civilization].- [ii. Human Rights and Technology].- [iii. Recognition by Scientists and Engineers].- [iv. Human Rights Are Natural].- [v. Realization of Freedom through Technology if Directed by Human Rights].- [vi. Abstract Formulation Inadequate; Social Implementation].- [vii. Minimum Moral Obligation of Scientists and Engineers].- Technology Assessment, Facts and Values.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Fact and Value: Ontology.- 3. Fact and Falsehood: Epistemology.- 4. From Ontology to Epistemology.- 5. From Ontology to Methodology.- 6. Theories of Value.- 7. Rational Decision-Making.- 8. Conclusion.- A Critique of Technological Determinism.- 1. The Technopolitical Challenge.- 2. The Basic Problem.- 3. Technological Determinism and Its Variants.- 4. A Systems-Theoretical Solution of the Problem.- 5. Some Tentative Conclusions.- Techne and Politeia: The Technical Constitution of Society.- [i. Historical Link between Techn? and Political Theory: Art of Statecraft].- [ii. Industrial Revolution as Form of Institutionalization: Freedom through Abundance].- [iii. De Facto Constitution of Sociotechnical Order].- [iv. Attempts to Regulate Technology].- [v. Efforts Do Not Set Limits for Technological Change].- [vi. No Consideration of Ends].- [vii. Example: Introduction of Photovoltaic Systems].- [viii. Conclusion: Modern Political Theory Must Criticize "Technical Constitution" of Society].- II / Technology Assessment.- Technoaxiology: Appropriate Norms for Technology Assessment.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Recent Assessments of Western Industrial Technology.- 3. The Evaluative Neutrality of TA.- 4. Uncriticized Assumptions of TA.- 5. Implications for Philosophy of Technology.- 6. Conclusion.- Comment: What Is Alternative Technology? A Reply to Professor Stanley Carpenter.- [i. Dissatisfaction with Technology:.- (1) Harms Associated with Technological Progress;.- (2) Dangers of Misuse of Technology;.- (3) Structure of Technology].- [ii. No Need for Alternative Technology].- The Prospects for Technology Assessment.- [i. Types of TA: Pretext, Neutral Decision Tool, Prescriptive-Categorical].- [ii. Problem with Pretext TA].- [iii. Questions about Decision-Making TA].- [iv. Rejection of Prescriptive-Categorical TA].- [v. Conclusion: TA Remains Indispensable].- Technology Assessment and the Problem of Quantification.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Arguments against Quantification.- 3. Arguments in favor of Quantification.- 4. Technology Assessments and the Failure to Quantify.- 5. Conclusion.- Forecast, Value, and the Recent Phenomenon of Non-Acceptance: The Limits of a Philosophy of Technology Assessment.- 1. Technology Assessment or "Risk Analysis"?.- 2. The Problem of Forecasting.- 3. The Philosophy of History and Evolution.- 4. The End of the Modern Age of Enlightenment.- 5. Values, Norms, and the Justification of Norms.- 6. "Defensive Ethics" and TA.- III / Responsibilities Toward Nature.- The Viability of Environmental Ethics.- [i. Objections: Recognizing Rights of the Environment Philosophically Confused and Impractical].- [ii. The Impracticality Objection] 188.- [iii. "Rights of Nature Makes No Sense" Refuted].- [iv. Conclusion: Good Instrumental Reasons for Environment as End-in-Itself].- Notes on Extended Responsibility and Increased Technological Power.- [i. Ethical Problems of Technological Progress].- [ii. A Response to the Challenge (Jonas)].- [iii. Extension of Social Responsibility to the Future of All of Nature].- [iv. Consequences for Ethics].- [v.] Summary and Applications.- What Sort of Technology Permits the Language of Nature? Conditions for Controlling Nature-Domination Constitutionally.- 1. Absolutism in Man's Relation to Nature.- 2. Laws of Nature and Laws of Justice; Humanity beyond Mankind.- 3. Holistic Principles for a Humane Domination of Nature.- IV / Metaphysical and Historical Issues.- The Historical-Ontological Priority of Technology over Science.- I. Introduction.- II. The Standard Theory.- III. A Materialist Theory: Heidegger and White.- IV. The Historical-Ontological Priority of Technology.- V. Conclusion.- The Origins of Modern Technology in Millenarianism.- I. Why the Philosophy and Theology of History Are Necessary for the Philosophy of Technology.- II. A Current Example of the Use of Technology to Achieve Millenarian Goals.- III. Christianity and Millenarianism.- IV. Millenarianism and Scientific-Technical-Industrial-Economic Control of Nature.- V. Criticism of Millenarianism.- The Religious and Political Origins of Modern Technology.- [i.] Religious Origins I [Weber].- [ii.] Political Origins I [Strauss].- [iii.] Religious Origins II [White].- [iv.] Political Origins II [Mitcham].- From the Phenomenon to the Event of Technology (A Dialectical Approach to Heidegger's Phenomenology).- I. Inhuman Technology: Machines.- II. Humane Technology: Cybernetic Art.- III. Human Being: The Event of Technology.- Pragmatism, Transcendental Arguments, and the Technological.- I. [Heidegger Criticized by Contrast with Marx (But Also Correct: Particular Assessments of Technology Presuppose a General Assessment)].- II. [Survey of Contemporary Philosophy: General Convergence on Praxis and the Transcendental].- III. [Theses: Transcendental Discoveries Possible within the Praxical-Technological; Repudiations of Philosophy (Rorty) or Non-Relativity (Feyerabend, Kuhn) Are Premature].- V / Directions for Philosophy of Technology.- The Cultural Character of Technology.- (1) [Culture Defined; Framework of Horizon Structures].- (2) [Phenomenological Method].- (3) [Technology as Cultural Phenomenon].- (4) ["Third-World Problem"].- The Import of Social, Political, and Anthropological Considerations in an Adequate Philosophy of Technology.- I. [Theses: Instrumental vs. Dialectical Reason; Modern Technology as Pervasive, But a Necessary Development].- II. [Presuppositions and Elaborations].- III. [Anthropology of Basic Needs Required].- Philosophy of Technology: Problems of a Philosophical Discipline.- [i. Why Philosophy of Technology is Undeveloped].- [ii. Complex Problematic of Philosophy of Technology].- [iii. Comparison of Technology/Technological Science with Nature/Natural Science].- [iv. Comparison of Natural Science with Technology].- [v. Technology and the Economy, Ethics, Politics, and Society; Matrix for Analysis].- [vi. Proposal: Need for Philosophical But Historically-Oriented Philosophy of Technology].- Name Index.