The technological context is almost impossible to avoid
Technosphere - the bias sphere
Technology shows us what a society, a community or a group values as positive and what is undesirable and should be avoided.
Technology gives us clues about legitimate means and ends.
Technology and technosphere are a materialisation of the values (+/-) society upholds.
Technology as a phenomenon
“Not just as a collection of tools or machines, but a complex system involving techniques, processes, and organisational structures. Technology also encompasses the ways in which humans interact with and are shaped by these artefacts.” - Jaques Ellul
“Technology is a way of revealing or bringing forth. It's not just a means to an end, but fundamentally changes the way humans perceive and understand the world.” - Martin Heidegger
Technology has been generalized to the point of abstraction - it suggests an overarching system that we inhabit
Technology is not the sum of the artefacts, of the wheels and gears, or the rails and electronic transmitters. Technology is a mindset.
Today’s real world of technology is characterized by the dominance of prescriptive technologies that come with an enormous social mortgage.
Technologies are practical implementations of intelligence.
Technologies refer to the tangible and intangible products of human ingenuity - tools, systems and methodologies developed through folk and scientific knowledge. These artefacts are designed to fulfil specific purposes, solve problems, or enhance human capabilities across all domains from human activity.
Two opposed visions of technology we should review -
Technological Neutrality - technology is neither good or bad, it's just how you use it.
Suchman argues against neutrality by emphasising that technologies are embedded within social and cultural contexts that profoundly shape their development, use and interpretation.
Situated action - how human actions are always situated within specific contexts, rather than being imbedded in the technology
Wajcman - technology is not gender - neutral but is designed and deployed in ways that often perpetuate gender inequalities
Technology is not neutral - we're inside what we make, and it's inside of us.
Neutral does not mean a net result in terms of good or bad. It means having an effect on the world. It means having a particular intentionality.
A gun does not define a situation and what is possible within it.
Latour - technologies are not neutral tools that passively exist until humans use them, They actively shape human actions and societal structures.
Technology Determinism
The hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord, the steam-mill society with the industrial capitalist.
Technology is the agent of social change as it moulds society and changes our behaviours and interactions.
Technology determinism is the main engine of social change
There is a direct relation between users, creators, regulators and technologies.
Relations between humans and technologies in the form of socio-technical networks of creation, use, modification, regulation, etc.
Neutrality vs Determinism
Why is technological neutrality a bad idea? Because it overlooks the significant ways in which technologies influence human relationships and societal organisation.
Why is hard determinism a bad idea? For the same reason, determinism neglects the co-shape of humans.
Neutrality - soft determinism - hard determinism
Technology is a complex, evolving system of artefacts, techniques, and practices embedded in an ongoing historical process of co-adaptations with culture, society and the environment.
The mediating role of technology
Technologies co-shape our behaviour and our experience of the world.
Technology organises a decision situation in a particular manner.
It creates categories and shapes courses of action.
In order to talk about ethics we need to incorporate technology’s mediating role.
Ethics should be approached as a matter of human-technological associations.
In practice, we need to abandon the full conceptual separation between thing and person.
They are a medium for experiencing the world and acting on it.
In our recent session on design ethics, I found myself deeply engrossed in contemplating the profound importance of ethical considerations in the realm of technology. The discussion opened my eyes to the intricate interplay between human values, technological advancements, and the ethical responsibilities inherent in design processes.
At the heart of our conversation lay the recognition that technology is not neutral; it carries with it the potential to shape society in myriad ways, both positive and negative. As designers, we bear a weighty responsibility to ensure that our creations align with ethical principles and contribute positively to the well-being of individuals and communities.
Throughout our discourse, we delved into various types of technological ethics, each presenting its own set of challenges and complexities. From privacy and data protection to algorithmic bias and environmental sustainability, the spectrum of ethical considerations seemed vast and multifaceted. Yet, amidst this complexity, one thing remained clear: the imperative to approach design with a conscientious regard for its ethical implications.
One perspective that particularly resonated with me was that of Don Ihde and his seminal work on technological ethics. Ihde's exploration of the ways in which technologies mediate our perceptions and experiences offers a fascinating lens through which to examine ethical dilemmas in design. His insights underscore the need to consider not only the intended functionalities of our creations but also their broader societal impacts and implications for human flourishing.
What struck me as particularly intriguing about Ihde's approach is his emphasis on phenomenological inquiry, which encourages us to attend to the lived experiences of individuals and communities affected by technology. By centering our ethical reflections on the human dimension of technological interactions, we gain a deeper appreciation for the ethical stakes involved and the imperative to design with empathy and foresight.
In conclusion, our session on design ethics served as a poignant reminder of the profound responsibility we bear as designers to navigate the ethical complexities of our craft. By engaging with perspectives such as Don Ihde's and fostering a robust ethical sensibility, we can strive to create technologies that not only function effectively but also embody our highest aspirations for a more just, equitable, and humane world.
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