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Technology As A Way of Revealing

The document discusses Martin Heidegger's analysis of the essence of technology. It defines technology as both a means to an end and a human activity. Modern technology views nature as something to control and exploit. Heidegger argues that art can offer an alternative way of thinking about technology by revealing truths and establishing new relationships with technology and nature through meditative thinking and questioning. Questioning is important, especially in times of crisis, to critically assess technology's impacts and rebuild relationships with it.

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Cristine Guno
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84 views3 pages

Technology As A Way of Revealing

The document discusses Martin Heidegger's analysis of the essence of technology. It defines technology as both a means to an end and a human activity. Modern technology views nature as something to control and exploit. Heidegger argues that art can offer an alternative way of thinking about technology by revealing truths and establishing new relationships with technology and nature through meditative thinking and questioning. Questioning is important, especially in times of crisis, to critically assess technology's impacts and rebuild relationships with it.

Uploaded by

Cristine Guno
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Technology as a Way of Revealing

The Greek concept of the essence of technology was investigated by Martin Heideg...

Technol ogy as a Way of Reveal ing


The Essence of Technol ogy

The Greek concept of the essence of technology was investigated by Martin Heidegger. The
meaning of technology for the Greeks was assumed to be part of our everyday life. To clarify
further, the term technology was defined into two categories.

1. Technology is a means to an end.


2. Technology is a human activity.

The first definition treated technology as an instrument to achieve a purpose or end. For
example, student A bought a laptop and smartphone to be used for online learning since students
were not allowed to attend a face to face learning. The laptops and smartphones are instruments
for the student to achieve his/her purpose which is to participate in online learning.

The second definition pointed out that technology is part of our daily activities of the human
person which is to invent technology such as gadgets for online learning, protective equipment to
fight COVID-19, agricultural machines to produce foods and etc.

The two definitions of technology are interconnected with each other in such a way that the
outcomes of human activities are meant to serve its purpose. However, this definition of
technology became problematic when technology does not serve its purpose (essence). For
example, imagine that COVID-19 will die naturally. You might think that those PPEs and
gadgets for learning are meaningless because the purpose is not being served. The revival of face
to face learning will make a gadget for online learning less significant in the traditional
classroom.

The Probl ems on Moder n Technol ogy

The Greek definition of technology as human activity and designed for a specific purpose was
restructured in modern times. Technology in the modern era was reduced into calculative
thinking that controls nature. For instance, the invention of the telescope, the steam machine, and
other devices was used to master nature. In the mastery of nature, we used technology to
manipulate things around us. To see a clear picture, Heidegger provided three revelations on
modern technology as challenging forth, enframing and dangerous;

Modern Technology as Challenging Forth


Heidegger claimed that ancient and modern technology are revealing. However, modern
technology is revealing not in the sense of bringing forth but rather challenging nature. Modern
technology challenging nature through extracting, transforming, storing, and distributing it.
Challenging forth reduced nature as standing 'reserve' or something to be disposed of by the
people. For examples, people exploited the natural resources without minding the negative
effects to the ecology, modernization of extracting gold, coal, and petroleum from the ground
compromised the bodies of waters, using of synthetic dyes and artificial flavoring jeopardize
human health, and the use of chemicals in the agriculture poses threat to food safety and health
security.

Effects of Modern Technology

Art as a Savi ng Power and Quest ioni ng

Thought
Art and Questioning Thought

Common experience tells us that in times of crisis or pandemic, human creativity is revealing.
We always hear or watch in the television about the new heroes like the medical practitioners in
the front line who took the risk in saving the lives of those infected patients and preventing the
spread of COVID-19, Intera-Agency Task Force (IATF) was tasked to create a social system and
enforce it like "bawal lumabas", stay home and wait for (ayuda) dole out. The churches,
organizations, and individuals were also creative in fighting COVID-19 through their own
means. It is indeed true that crisis compels us to become creative or artistic in order to survive.
This is the reason why Heidegger who experienced the horror of world war two is telling us how
art can save us from a misconception of technology and how to renew our relation with it.

What is art?

Art is a techne that shows, unconceals, or reveals the truth. Art was considered as a saving power
and an alternative exit from technological enframing. Art as techne is an act of the mind that
helps us to think based on meditative thinking. Through art, we can establish new relationships
with technology and nature. As Heidegger puts it; "because the essence of technology is nothing
technological, essential reflection upon technology and decisive confrontation with it must
happen in a realm that is, on the hand, akin to the essence of technology and, on the other,
fundamentally different from it. Such a realm is art. But certainly only if reflection on art, for its
part, does not shut its eyes to the constellation of truth after which we are questioning".
Heidegger, Martin, The Question of Technology,

Questioning as the Piety of Thought

In practice, we human beings have a lot of questions in life especially when we are in a time of
crisis or pandemic. Many questions surfaced in our minds when we pause, relax, and engage
ourselves in questioning things around us. Heidegger encourages us to practice critical thinking
when it comes to technology. We need to reassess our concept of technology particularly on its
positive and negative impact to nature in order to rebuild our new relation. Heidegger ended his
essay with these statements; "the closer we come to the danger, the more brightly do the ways
into the saving power begin to shine and the more questioning we become. For questioning is the
piety of thought.

Art as a Saving Power and Questioning


Thought
Art and Questioning Thought
Common experience tells us that in times of crisis or pandemic, human creativity is
revealing. We always hear or watch in the television about the new heroes like the
medical practitioners in the front line who took the risk in saving the lives of those
infected patients and preventing the spread of COVID-19, Intera-Agency Task Force
(IATF) was tasked to create a social system and enforce it like "bawal lumabas", stay
home and wait for (ayuda) dole out. The churches, organizations, and individuals were
also creative in fighting COVID-19 through their own means. It is indeed true that crisis
compels us to become creative or artistic in order to survive. This is the reason why
Heidegger who experienced the horror of world war two is telling us how art can save us
from a misconception of technology and how to renew our relation with it.
What is art?
Art is a techne that shows, unconceals, or reveals the truth. Art was considered
as a saving power and an alternative exit from technological enframing. Art as techne is
an act of the mind that helps us to think based on meditative thinking. Through art, we
can establish new relationships with technology and nature. As Heidegger puts it;
"because the essence of technology is nothing technological, essential reflection upon
technology and decisive confrontation with it must happen in a realm that is, on the
hand, akin to the essence of technology and, on the other, fundamentally different from
it. Such a realm is art. But certainly only if reflection on art, for its part, does not shut its
eyes to the constellation of truth after which we are questioning". Heidegger, Martin, The
Question of Technology,
Questioning as the Piety of Thought
In practice, we human beings have a lot of questions in life especially when we
are in a time of crisis or pandemic. Many questions surfaced in our minds when we
pause, relax, and engage ourselves in questioning things around us. Heidegger
encourages us to practice critical thinking when it comes to technology. We need to
reassess our concept of technology particularly on its positive and negative impact to
nature in order to rebuild our new relation . Heidegger ended his essay with these
statements; "the closer we come to the danger, the more brightly do the ways into the
saving power begin to shine and the more questioning we become. For questioning is
the piety of thought.

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