A Study On Don Ihde’s Theory About Human-technology Relations

The philosophy of technology deals with the nature of technology and its effects onhuman life and society. The increasing influence of modern technology on humanexistence has triggered a growing interest in a philosophical analysis of technology. DonIhde, as a great technology philosopher，also keeps the focus on the influence. His theoryof human-technology relations is about the technology plays an important role whenhuman being knows the nature or changes the nature. Theologically，Ihde createsIhdeology at the beginning of human-technology relations. At the same time, Ihde’sphilosophy of technology is an important field of phenomenological philosophy oftechnology. Practically, human-technology relations can give a very practical solution tosome society problems.The paper is divided into three parts. Firstly, the introduce is about the orgin ofhuman-technology relations, the features and also about the influence to the other theories.Secondly, the main content of human-technology relations is discussed totally.Human-technology relations include four relations, which is embodiment relation,hermeneutic relation, alterity relation and background relation. Embodiment relationmeans technology can extend my feeling. Hermeneutic relation means technology canexpress the world. Alterity relation means technology can develop by itself. Backgroundrelation means technology becomes the background just like the world. Four relations areparallel relationships, because four relations can exist at the same time. Four relations arealso forwarding relationships, because embodiment relation, hermeneutic relation, alterityrelation and background relation are appeared one by one in the process of societydevelopment. In the end, the paper focuses on the social function, and also evaluatesIhde’s philosophy of technology.The paper mainly uses the method of the literature analysis and the comparativeanalysis. Through reading of foreign literature, I can get a deeper understanding of thetheory. By contrasting the Ihde’s phenomenology of technology philosophy and Marx’sphilosophy of technology, the paper tries to analyze human-technology relations using the Law of Negation of Negation. This is the innovation of this paper.