Module 2 Lesson 5 Technology As A Mode of Revealing

Module 2:
STS and the Human Condition
Lesson 5:
Technology as a Way of Revealing
Prepared by: Mr. Joey Estorosos

Introduction
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
• A German philosopher and a seminal
thinker in the Continental tradition of
philosophy.
• Widely acknowledged to be one of the
most original and important philosophers
of the 20th century.
• He is best known for contributions to
phenomenology, hermeneutics, and
existentialism.
https://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/july/paradigm-heidegger-sheehan-070815.html
Heidegger’s View on Technology
• He strongly opposes the view that technology is “a means to

an end” or “a human activity”.
➢ a means to an end – Instrumental Definition
➢ a human activity – Anthropological Definition
• Both definitions are correct but do not go deep enough; as he
says, they are not yet true.
• Instead technology is a way of understanding the world and it

develops beyond human control respectively.
Heidegger’s View on Technology
• Technological objects are means for ends, and are built and
operated by human beings, but the essence of technology is
something else entirely.
As the example of the tree it is merely a tree because we say it is
but the essence of the tree it not present in any tree we have or
ever will encounter. Thus, the essence of technology is not anything
technological.
• To understand the essence of technology we must first
understand what technology actually is.
Definition of Technology
• Technology, according to Heidegger must be understood as “a
way of revealing” (Heidegger 1977, 12).
• Revealing is his translation of the Greek word alètheuein, which
means ‘to discover’ – to uncover what was covered over.
• Related to this verb is the independent noun alètheia, which is
usually translated as “truth,” though Heidegger insists that a
more adequate translation would be “un-concealment.”
• Therefore, the definition is Technology – “to unconceal what
was concealed”.
Technology as a Way of Revealing
• Everything we perceive or think of or interact with “unconceal

what was concealed”
• By entering into a particular relation with reality, reality is
‘revealed’ in a specific way.
• Technology embodies a specific way of revealing the world, a
revealing in which humans take power over reality.
• In this sense, Heidegger envisioned technology as a way of
revealing – a mode of bringing forth.
Bringing-Forth
• It can be understood through the Ancient Greek philosophical
concept, Poiesis, which refers to the act of bringing something
out of concealment.
• By bringing something out of concealment, the truth of that
something is revealed.
• Technology is a means towards fulfilling our needs while we
respect nature's needs.
For example, take a block of marble for example. The Sculptor
then takes the Chisel and uses it as a tool to reveal the Essence of
the Sculpture within. The craftsman does not manufacture, he reveals.
The dignity of the marble itself still stands, just in a new form.
Modern Technology
• While the ancient Greeks experienced the ‘making’ of something
as ‘helping something to come into being’ – as Heidegger
explains that modern technology is rather a ‘forcing into being’.
• Modern technology reveals the world as “standing reserve”, a
raw material available for production and manipulation.
For example, we challenge land (mining) to yield coal, treating
the land as nothing but a coal reserve.
• Revealing of modern technology is not a bringing-forth, but a
challenging-forth.
Challenging-Forth
• Reduces objects as standing reserve or something to be
disposed of by those who enframe them - humans.
• This is evident in the way people exploit natural resources with
very little concern for the ecological consequences that come
with it.
For example, when they look at a forest, they don't necessarily
see trees, they see lumber. Everywhere they look in nature they only
see raw material.
• Challenging-Forth robs all of Nature of its integrity, sacredness,
metaphysical life, and dignity. What has essence is reduced to
interchangeable matter and energy.
Enframing as Modern Technology’s Way of Revealing
• Heidegger distinguished the way of revealing of modern

technology by considering it as a process of enframing.
• Enframing [Gestell in German] is using technology to turn nature
into a resource for efficient use.
• The role of humans take as instruments of technology through
enframing is called destining.
• In destining, humans are challenged forth by enframing to reveal
what is real. However, this destining of humans to reveal nature
carries with it the danger of misconstruction or misinterpretation.
The Dangers of Technology
• Solely depends on how humans let themselves be consumed
by it. The responsibility of humans is to recognize how they
become instruments of technology.
• It is not how one should act with regard to technology - the

question that seems to be “always closest and solely urgent” -
but how we should think, for technology “can never be
overcome,” we are never its master.
• Proper thinking and speaking, on the other hand, allow us to be

ourselves and to reveal being.
Heidegger’s Alternative: Technology as Art
• Heidegger quotes the German poet Friedrich Hölderlin: “But
where the danger is, there grows also what saves”.
• Heidegger wanted to revive an earlier understanding of

technology. He points out, technology, etymologically speaking,
means artistic skill or craftsmanship (from the ancient Greek
word techne, from which we also get the words technique and
technics):
techne is the name not only for the activities and skills of the
craftsman, but also for the arts of the mind and the fine arts.
Therefore, Heidegger suggests, if we see technology as art, we
come across a valuable insight. As an art, technology is more
than a thing. It’s a relationship as well, an aesthetic and ethical
way of relating to nature and society.
Then as we use technology to extract resources, we should also
make sure we’re not inflicting damage in the process. Since
we can’t separate technology from human values. That is what the
philosophy of technology is all about.
------ The End------

References
1. Alexander ferrari di Pipo. (2000). The Concept of Poiesis in Heidegger's An Introduction to
Metaphysics. Thinking Fundamentals.
2. Heidegger, Martin. “The question concerning technology (W. Lovitt, Trans.) The question
concerning technology: and other essays (pp. 3- 35).” (1977).
3. Seubold, Günter. Heideggers Analyse der neuzeitlichen Technik. Freiburg-München: Alber, 1986.
4. Joss Winn, (2010). Continental philosophy, Cybernetics, Heidegger, Philosophy, poetics,
technology, The Question Concerning Technology
5. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/philosophy-of-technology/0/steps/26314

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Module 2:

STS and the Human Condition

Prepared by: Mr. Joey Estorosos

• He strongly opposes the view that technology is “a means to

• Instead technology is a way of understanding the world and it

• Everything we perceive or think of or interact with “unconceal

• Heidegger distinguished the way of revealing of modern

• It is not how one should act with regard to technology - the

• Proper thinking and speaking, on the other hand, allow us to be

• Heidegger wanted to revive an earlier understanding of

------ The End------

Prepared by: Mr. Joey Estorosos

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