The Relation Between Structure And Function Of Technical Artifacts

My research is a problem-oriented research in Philosophy of Technology.The basic problem of my research is what the relation is between structure and function of technical artifacts. In other words, that is how structure and function of technical artifacts are connected so that a depended and integrated technical artifact emerges. The basic problem is the core-problem of researches of Philosophy of Technology, which was dealt with by the research group in The Netherlands, e.g. Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology, from 1998 to 2007. However, it is not an accomplished issue. Therefore, my aim is to propose a systemic solution of the relation between structure and function of technical artifacts, which is according to the perspective of engineers and can explain the relation between structure and function in the contexts of use and routine design and creative design.My research chooses the perspective of engineers and analyses the basic problem from the "inside" of Technology. Guiding by the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ), I narrow the potential scope of problem solution gradually. Firstly, I choose the approach of my research. Secondly, I choose the methodology. Thirdly, I get the detailed" research method. Finally, I find the explaination model by case study. My solution accepts the idea of pragmatic approach, which was proposed by Peter Kroes, the leader of the research group of Philosophy of Technology in The Netherlands, but chooses another non-reductive methodology of engineering, e.g. Object-Oriented Method, to analyze the basic problem. According to the thinking of Object-Oriented Method and the idea of the third description that separating in space and synchronizing in time, my solution builds up the mathematical functions of class of technical function and structure separately in the contexts of use and design and gets a model of mathematical function of class in the same auxiliary plane.The new model can explain the positive relation between structure and function of technical artifacts in the contexts of use and routine design and creative design. It can also explain the universal phenomena of Underdetermination and its Realizability Constrain and Malfunction.The most important creativity of my solution is that the model of mathematical function of class is a universal and systemic solution about the problem of the relation between structure and function of technical artifacts and it eliminates the research blank of the studies of the Dual Nature of Technical Artifacts.The second creativity of my solution is that it proposed in methodology that the research group of Philosophy of Technology in The Netherlands ignored that anti-reductionism was the potential premise of the Empirical Turn in Philosophy of Technology. Therefore, the methods with the characters of reductionism are useful to analyze and understand the complex relations between structure and function quickly but not suitable for find the solution to explain them, while the methods with the characters of non-reductionism are able to find the solution of the problem of the relation between structure and function of technical artifacts.The third creativity of my solution is doing some philosophical researches based on the perspective of engineers, i. e. I solve some philosophical problem successfully according the theories and methods of TRIZ.