An Inquiry On The Empirical Turn From Heidegger To Borgmann In Philosophy Of Technology

An empirical turn in philosophy of technology happens since1980s. Borgmann’s empirical turn is a typical trend in this empirical turn. Compared with other trends, it has two features:on the one hand, it provides the empirical perspective from which the people analyse the existential problem in the development of technology and the practical project of saving. On the other hand, it focuses on paying attention to and realizing many values which include natural, traditional, social, political, economic, ethical and historical values, etc, and thus it promotes design of technology in realizing multiple values. In the sense that it promotes technological design of multiple values, Borgmann’s empirical turn in philosophy of technology isn’t replaced by the ethical turn in philosophy of technology. At the same time, Borgmann’s empirical turn in philosophy of technology is realized on the basis of Heidegger’ philosophy of technology of phenomenology of ontology which is its direct theoretical source, so the thesis will investigate the empirical turn from Heidegger to Borgmann in philosophy of technology.Firstly, this thesis analyzes the origin of phenomenological philosophy of technology. The origin is the common metaphysical foundation of the philosophy of Heidegger and Borgmann. Based on this, the thesis analyzes the metaphysical trend of Heidegger’s philosophy of technology, and then explores the demands for empirical turn from both theoretical and practical aspects. Then, the thesis illustrates the empirical turn from Heidegger to Borgmann in philosophy of technology is realized by three approaches. Finally, the thesis evaluates this turn from the historical perspective.The thesis includes seven parts. The first chapter is introduction, which covers the research reasons, significance, approaches, methods, innovations and literature review. The second chapter starts to analyze the origin of phenomenological philosophy of technology from the holistic way of thinking of phenomenological philosophy of technology and the gist of that, and discloses the origin of phenomenological philosophy of technology is "human-technology-world". Heidegger and Borgmann construct their philosophy of technology on the basis of the origin. The third chapter clarifies Heidegger’s metaphysical philosophy of technology by taking "human-technology-world" as the starting point. Heidegger believes that technology is a way of revealing, namely, a way in which the world presents itself to human beings. Ancient technology as the thing reveal the world to human beings through echoing being. But modern technology is a kind of challenging. It orders the world as functional resources, hence conceals the world. Ge-stell is the condition of possibility of modern technology and the essence of modern technology. As the biggest danger, Ge-stell results in the crisis of modern technology. Hence Heidegger proposes reflection on being in order to save the technological crisis. The fourth chapter addresses three aspects of the empirical turn in philosophy of technology. The theoretical precondition of it is that the classical philosophy of technology has three main faults:the missing of empirical description, the partial of technological determinism, the mood of technological pessimism. The realistic reasons arc that the complicated picture of technology, the welfare of technology and the culture of constructivism. These reasons continually demand philosophy of technology pay attention to description, social construction of technology and the positive value of technology. In this context, the empirical turn presents three purports:the philosophical construction of trinity, the orientation of social constructivism and attaching importance to the positive value of technology. The fifth chapter discusses the theoretical sources, approaches and achievements of Borgmann’s empirical turn in philosophy of technology. Heidegger’s philosophy of technology of phenomenology of ontology is its the direct theoretical source. Furthermore, Borgmann also adopts the ideas of Dreyfus, Kuhn, and Rawls. Based on these, Borgmann realizes his empirical turn through three paths:first of all understanding on technology is from revealing to the complex of means and ends; second, understanding on the essence of technology is from Ge-stell to the device paradigm; ultimately, the project of saving is from reflection on being to focal practices. From the empirical perspective, Borgmann believes that technology is complex of means and end; that ancient technology which is the uniting of means and end demands the people engagement (practices), centers and reveals the world; that modern technology which means and end are separated conceals the world while it provides commodities to the people; and that the essence of modern technology is the device paradigm. The device paradigm is the sensible foundation of technological crisis. Borgmann presents the idea of focal practices in order to save the technological crisis. The sixth chapter historically evaluates Borgmann’s empirical turn in philosophy of technology. Borgmann’s empirical turn in philosophy of technology opens a practical way to get rid of the dilemma of philosophy of technology, promotes the fusion of engineering tradition and humanistic tradition in philosophy of technology, guides the technological design of multiple values, and provides the enlightenment of focal practice in constructing ecological civilization. Borgmann’s empirical turn in philosophy of technology presents a shortage, that is, the idea of focal things isn’t combined with modern technology and modern technology isn’t transformed into focal things. The thesis proposes to overcome this shortage by technological design. In conclusion, the thesis outlines Heidegger and Borgmann actively take on contemporary mission of philosophy and make the importance contribution in saving the modern crisis of technology. We should not only learn their theories, but also inherit their spirits.This research has theoretical meanings in two aspects:Firstly, it will be helpful to construct philosophy of technology of the trinity of descriptiveness, normativity and criticalness, and promotes the practical transformation of philosophy of technology. Secondly, it will promote the development of philosophy of technology in China by enriching research foundation. In practicc, it will promote the development of Chinese technological design of multiple values and technological innovation, and the protection of excellent traditional culture heritages and provide a new perspective of "focal practices" in constructing ecological civilization, boosting the construction of ecological civilization and the harmony of human and technology in china.