What things do: philosophical reflections on technology, agency, and design

Abstract

Contents Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction: To the Things Themselves 1. The Death of Things 2. The Thing About the Philosophy of Technology 3. Toward a Philosophy of Artifacts Part I: Philosophy Beyond Things 1. Technology and the Self 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Technology and Mass-Rule 1.3 Human Beings and Mass Production 1.4 Mass Existence 1.5 The Neutrality of Technology 1.6 Conclusion 2. The Thing about Technology 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Heidegger's Philosophy of Technology 2.3 To Be or Not to Be-That Is the Question 2.4 Heidegger and Things 2.5 Conclusion Part II: Philosophy from Things 3. Postphenomenology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Empirical Research into Technology 3.3 Beyond Classical Phenomenology 3.4 Toward a Postphenomenology of Things 4. A Material Hermeneutic 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Relations Between Human Beings and Artifacts 4.3 Mediation and Meaning 4.4 Artifacts, Culture, and Science 4.5 Conclusion 5. The Acts of Artifacts 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Latour's Amodern Ontology 5.3 Technical Mediation 5.4 Actor-Network Theory and Postphenomenology 5.5 Mediation of Action 5.6 Conclusion 6. Devices and the Good Life 6.1 Introduction 6.2 The Device Paradigm 6.3 Technology and the Good Life 6.4 Beyond Alienation 6.5 Mediated Engagement 6.6 Conclusion: The Mediation of Action and Experience Part III: Philosophy for Things 7. Artifacts in Design 7.1 Introduction 7.2 The Materiality of Things 7.3 Toward a Material Aesthetics 7.4 Durable Designs 7.5 Conclusion