Chapter seven was a great chapter in that no philosophy was really used in order for Mitcham to bring his point across. This chapter entirely revolved around objects and they’re place in technological history. He describes these objects as artifacts, and when technology is referenced, those artifacts are what we think of. Essentially, we as humans only consider tools and actual objects pieces of technology. That is until Ivan Illich calls out this assertion, and questions the relevance of poems, books, or thoughts in general. It seems as though Illich is saying that in order for something to be consider technology, a person must be able to sense it, as in using their senses. He does make a point by saying that the technology developed by earlier civilizations reflects the lives of the people who developed it. One thing I do disagree with is calling objects of technology “artifacts.” Calling something an artifact dates the object tremendously and cuts down technology developed by earlier civilizations. The modern technology we develop today should not be degraded by comparing it to something developed hundreds of years ago. One thing I did like, which was towards the end of the chapter was Don Ihde’s comparison between the words Human, Instrument, and world. I see why this is the chapter being graded, because it really is the first one that really pertains to our generation.
Types of Technology as an Object
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