PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY - FROM J.J. ROUSSEAU TO BERNARD STIEGLER

Abstract

This article deals with the problematic field of the philosophy of technology. The field is quite broad and contains a number of issues - from the origin and essence of technology to the impact of technology on man and nature. This article sums up and systematizes the most wide spread concepts of the philosophy of technology in modern western philosophy. The analysis shows that there are two relevant methodological approaches in modern socio-philosophical research on technology. Such authors as E. Kapp, A. Gehlen, P. Engelmeyer, D. Simondon, N. Berdyaev, L. Mumford, T. Adorno, J. Habermas and others view technology as a specific phenomenon of culture, they study the nature of technology, its features, problems and development prospects. J. Ortega y Gasset, M. Heidegger and B. Stiegler see technology differently. They state that modern technology and technique are fundamental to human relationships and perceptions of the world. It is the foundation of culture. Modern French philosopher B. Stiegler, in particular, points out that modern technology determines our experience of being in the world. It has always been the foundation of human nature, not a material superstructure planted upon it. Man, according to Stigler, is a technological being. Always has been. Human expansion with the help of gadgets continues. The novelty of this process is in the change of its speed. Acceleration, in turn, leads to a fracture in human relationships. They can't keep up with technology anymore. This article's goal is philosophical analysis of the foundations of technology. The main question is the following: is it possible to characterize the issue of modern man's attitude towards technology and its use to achieve some desired outcomes in a philosophical context? The philosophical research of technology allows us to reflect on how it affects our lives and our existence. The article shows the importance of keeping the balance between technological progress and our ability for self-reflection and understanding of the world. The theoretical significance of this study lies in the generalization and systematization of the concepts of modern Western philosophy of technology. Scientific novelty of the article is represented by the exploration of technique and technology, in particular artificial intelligence, through socio-philosophical discourse, as well as using a holistic ontological approach, presented in this work in a hermeneutic aspect.