Teaching about Technology: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Technology for Non-philosophers
Teaching about technology, at all levels of education, can only be done properly when those who teach have a clear idea about what it is that they teach. In other words: they should be able to give a decent answer to the question: what is technology? In the philosophy of technology that question is explored. Therefore the philosophy of technology is a discipline with a high relevance for those who teach about technology. Literature in this field, though, is not always easy to access for non-philosophers. This book provides an introduction to the philosophy of technology for such people. It offers a survey of the current state-of-affairs in the philosophy of technology, and also discusses the relevance of that for teaching about technology. The book can be used in introductory courses on the philosophy of technology in teacher education programs, engineering education programs, and by individual educators that are interested in the intriguing phenomenon of technology that is so importan… More >>
Teaching about Technology: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Technology for Non-philosophers
Tagged with: About • Introduction • Nonphilosophers • Philosophy • Teaching • Technology
The meat of the book is barely over a hundred pages. It is very sparse in its coverage of the topic. It feels like reading handouts for a class that I didn’t attend. For example, Don Ihde’s work is only mentioned in a couple of paragraphs.
So I like the book and its topic, but it is not a standalone resource. It leans heavily on the 1994 ‘Thinking Through Technology’ book by Carl Mitcham.
Similar recent books to look at, depending on your interests, include: “Acting with Technology” (Bonnie Nardi), “Postphenomenology: A Critical Companion to Ihde”, as well as of course other philosophy of technology books, including one by Ihde.
Marc de Vries also is or was I believe the editor of the “International Journal of Technology and Design Education”, where there appeared a full review of this book.