After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our dai... more After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our daily lives, the digital technologies that are currently being developed are actually fading away from sight. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are not only embedded in devices that we explicitly Buse^but increasingly become an intrinsic part of the material environment in which we live. How to conceptualize the role of these new technological environments in human existence? And how to anticipate the ways in which these technologies will mediate our everyday lives? In order to answer these questions, we draw on two approaches that each offers a framework to conceptualize these new technological environments: Postphenomenology and Material Engagement Theory. As we will show, each on their own, these approaches fail to do justice to the new environmental role of technology and its implications for human existence. But by bringing together Postphenomenology's account of technological mediation and Material Engagement Theory's account of engaging with environments, it becomes possible to sufficiently account for the new environmental workings of technology. To do justice to these new workings of environmental technologies, we introduce and develop the concept of BTechnological Environmentality.K eywords Active technological environments . Postphenomenology . Material Engagement Theory . Technological mediation . Human-technology relations Philos. Technol.
De visie dat religie en techniek afzonderlijke categorieën
zijn en zelfs een vijandige relatie on... more De visie dat religie en techniek afzonderlijke categorieën zijn en zelfs een vijandige relatie onderhouden, lijkt door de jaren steeds meer aanhang te hebben gekregen. Techniek zou leiden tot onttovering van de wereld, tot verplatting van de werkelijkheid. Vanuit instrumentalistische en deterministische benaderingen, waarin techniek primair wordt geassocieerd met controle en beheersing, wordt techniek buiten de mens geplaatst. Toch zijn religie en techniek moeilijker uit elkaar te trekken dan doorgaans wordt gedacht. De natuur technologisch manipuleren wil geenszins zeggen dat we haar volledig kunnen controleren. We kunnen de natuur alleen maar ‘beheersen’ voor zover we gehoorzamen aan datgene wat zich aan onze macht onttrekt.
Postphenomenology is an approach in philosophy of technology that investigates how technologies i... more Postphenomenology is an approach in philosophy of technology that investigates how technologies influence and shape world and self. Although postphenomenology has from the beginning expressed the ambition to offer a nonessentialist and nonfoundational framework, a structural development of this aspect is virtually absent. A Peircean pragmatism, as will be proposed, can provide this framework. The view of self-formation as sublimation, which will be derived from Peircean pragmatism, attempts to recognize that our environment, which is increasingly a technological environment and subject to radical change, greatly shapes who we are and influences who we ought to be and, at the same time, resists the idea that the self is not more than a plaything of contingent influences and forces.
Hoe verder met Europa? Deze vraag duidt veelal op de moeilijkheid Europa te smeden tot een eenhei... more Hoe verder met Europa? Deze vraag duidt veelal op de moeilijkheid Europa te smeden tot een eenheid. Het laatste jaar wordt dan al snel Brexit aangehaald als aanwijzing dat het “project Europa” is mislukt of juist als waarschuwing dat we niet zonder Europa kunnen. Ook wordt gewezen op de vluchtelingencrisis en de opkomst van nationalistische partijen, die met elkaar verweven zouden zijn. Nog anderen menen dat Europa in een identiteitscrisis verkeert en menen dat pas naar een oplossing kan worden gezocht als we weten wat Europa eigenlijk is: is Europa een republiek, een superstaat, een (gefragmenteerde) democratie, een Middeleeuws imperium, een bedrijf?
After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our dai... more After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our daily lives, the digital technologies that are currently being developed are actually fading away from sight. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are not only embedded in devices that we explicitly Buse^but increasingly become an intrinsic part of the material environment in which we live. How to conceptualize the role of these new technological environments in human existence? And how to anticipate the ways in which these technologies will mediate our everyday lives? In order to answer these questions, we draw on two approaches that each offers a framework to conceptualize these new technological environments: Postphenomenology and Material Engagement Theory. As we will show, each on their own, these approaches fail to do justice to the new environmental role of technology and its implications for human existence. But by bringing together Postphenomenology's account of technological mediation and Material Engagement Theory's account of engaging with environments, it becomes possible to sufficiently account for the new environmental workings of technology. To do justice to these new workings of environmental technologies, we introduce and develop the concept of "Technological Environmentality."
Stromata: Revista semestral de filosofía y teología
La idea de “autoformación” a menudo se presenta como liberadora: el yo, en lugar de ser esencialm... more La idea de “autoformación” a menudo se presenta como liberadora: el yo, en lugar de ser esencialmente fijo o predeterminado, se atribuye el potencial de moldearse a sí mismo. Además, la auto-formación se desarrolla siempre como auto-formación tecnológica, loque da lugar a aspiraciones ilimitadas de auto-mejora. Esta visión se enfrenta con, almenos, dos problemas fundamentales: en primer lugar, la autotransformación radical no solo implica mejorar las capacidades, sino que también puede introducir estándares nuevos y diferentes para establecer lo que es “mejora”. En segundo lugar, si las tecnologías están moldeando cada vez más la estructura misma del yo, el yo no puede simplemente externalizar la tecnología y determinar de forma autónoma cómo quiere usarla para mejorar. Reconociendo estos problemas, propondré que, en lugar de entender la autoformación como mejora, se pueda capturar mejor como sublimación .
Brain imaging technologies are increasingly used to find networks and brain regions that are spec... more Brain imaging technologies are increasingly used to find networks and brain regions that are specific to the functional realization of particular aspects of the self. In this paper, we aim to show how neuroscientific research and techniques could be used in the context of self- formation without treating them as representations of an inner realm. To do so, we show first how a Cartesian framework underlies the interpretation and usage of brain imaging tech- nologies as functional evidence. To illustrate how material-technological inventions and developments can have a significant and lasting impact on views of the self, we show how this framework was influenced by another technology: the camera obscura. Subsequently, we show that brain imaging technologies challenge the idea that privileged access to the self can be obtained merely through introspection, indicating a strong discontinuity between the Cartesian and the current neuroscientific framework. Building on these insights, we reframe the self in terms of self-formation. This view neither regards the brain as an independent realizer of aspects of the self, nor assumes that self-knowledge can be obtained through introspection. From this perspective, self-formation is realized through critical self-identifi- cation: instead of offering representational knowledge of an ‘inner self,’ the potential use of brain imaging technologies within this framework lies in their capacity to offer what we call ‘extrospective knowledge’ that pragmatically can contribute to self-formation. Brain imag- ing technologies contribute to this process because they foreground our neurophysiology, which helps to critically integrate biological aspects into self-formation.
In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conceptio... more In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conception of the posthuman: tran- shumanists anticipate radical transformation of the human through technology and at the same time assume that the crite- ria to determine what is “normal” and what is “enhanced” are univocal, both in our present time and in the future. Inspired by Nietzsche’s notion of the Overhuman, the author argues that the slightest “historical and phenomenological sense” discloses copious variations of criteria, both diachronic and synchronic, for what can be considered “normal” and “enhanced.” Radical transformation through technology does not simply enable us to become “stronger,” “smarter,” or “healthier,” but it can and often will also change the very standard or yardstick with which we measure what counts as “stronger,” “smarter,” or “healthier.” Put yet differently: new and emerging technologies are not neutral means but often bring about different and, from our current per- spective, foreign standards for determining what are “normal” and “enhanced” capacities. Since the qualitative meanings of these terms are themselves not fixed, it is unintelligible and too reassuring to simply predict that new technologies will enhance human beings.
Phenomenology is an approach in philosophy that emerged around the end of the 19th century. It ai... more Phenomenology is an approach in philosophy that emerged around the end of the 19th century. It aims to study and describe reality as it appears in concrete experiences. That description proceeds as much as possible independent of theories that provide causal explanations and free of assumptions that have not been questioned and investigated. The word phenomenology appeared prior to the late 19th century. Indeed, the concept only gains widespread attention with the publication of Franz Brentano’s writings. Brentano presented a systematic psychology that was designed to form the basis of a “science of the soul” and shifted the focus from the content to the activities of the mind. His approach greatly influenced Edmund Husserl’s (1859–1938) philosophy, which in its turn can be considered the most important source for many phenomenological traditions. This entry introduces phenomenology, paying specific attention to some of the movements’ key thinkers.
In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conceptio... more In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conception of the posthuman: tran-shumanists anticipate radical transformation of the human through technology and at the same time assume that the criteria to determine what is " normal " and what is " enhanced " are univocal, both in our present time and in the future. Inspired by Nietzsche's notion of the Overhuman, the author argues that the slightest " historical and phenomenological sense " discloses copious variations of criteria, both diachronic and synchronic, for what can be considered " normal " and " enhanced. " Radical transformation through technology does not simply enable us to become " stronger, " " smarter, " or " healthier, " but it can and often will also change the very standard or yardstick with which we measure what counts as " stronger, " " smarter, " or " healthier. " Put yet differently: new and emerging technologies are not neutral means but often bring about different and, from our current perspective , foreign standards for determining what are " normal " and " enhanced " capacities. Since the qualitative meanings of these terms are themselves not fixed, it is unintelligible and too reassuring to simply predict that new technologies will enhance human beings. The last thing I would promise would be to " improve " humanity. I won't be setting up any new idols; let the old ones learn what it means to have feet of clay.
Cognitio Revista De Filosofia Issn 1518 7187 2316 5278, Jan 23, 2013
In this paper the author reflects on the problem of generalizing in a pluralistic society. Accord... more In this paper the author reflects on the problem of generalizing in a pluralistic society. According to him, what is much needed in our postmodern era is an ethical perspective that, on the one hand, does not disregard the different particular, empirical settings in which moral criteria emerge and are being developed, and, on the other hand, endorses the possibility of pursuing common goals and ideals. This perspective is developed through a reconstruction of a dialog between Kant and Peirce.
Wolfgang Müller-Lauter, the author of one of the most important Nietzsche books, if not the most ... more Wolfgang Müller-Lauter, the author of one of the most important Nietzsche books, if not the most important one of the last four decades, died on the 9th August, 2001. His book Nietzsche. Seine Philosophie der Gegensätze und die Gegensätze seiner Phibsophie (1971) and his many articles have been of decisive significance for international Nietzsche research. In his last two years,
In virtue of what do things have an identity? This question still lands us in great difficulties ... more In virtue of what do things have an identity? This question still lands us in great difficulties and confusion. Against the traditional Aristotelian view of reality, which clings to firmness and stability in the world, Nietzsche postulates his conception of reality as becoming. Nietzsche's alternative conception of the world is characterized as an organized strife of wills to power. The
Dat deze kroniek later verschijnt dan aanvankelijk gepland (het was de bedoeling elke vijf jaar e... more Dat deze kroniek later verschijnt dan aanvankelijk gepland (het was de bedoeling elke vijf jaar een overzicht van de literatuur te maken, maar de vorige dateert van 1999 2 ), is niet omdat er niet voldoende publicaties over Nietzsche waren. Wel integendeel! De explosie aan Nietzsche-literatuur sinds de jaren 1970 is nog altijd gaande en lijkt in omvang exponentieel toe te nemen. We kunnen de ontwikkeling tot nu toe kort als volgt resumeren. 3 De eerste sterke receptie van Nietzsche aan het eind van de negentiende en het begin van de twintigste eeuw werd gesmoord in de nazistische toeëigening van zijn denken. Walter Kaufmann probeerde Nietzsche daarvan weer te bevrijden met zijn in 1950 verschenen en nog steeds lezenswaardige Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist, maar veel belangrijker (ook belangrijker dan de eerder in Duitsland verschenen Nietzsche-boeken van K. Löwith in 1935, K. Jaspers in 1936 en E. Fink in 1960) werd de publicatie van Heideggers colleges over Nietzsche in 1961. Hoewel die colleges werden gegeven tussen 1936 en 1940, en hoewel Heidegger ook de eerder genoemde auteurs al meer of minder sterk had beïnvloed in hun Nietzsche-lectuur, kregen zijn colleges over Nietzsche vooral na hun publicatie in 1961 een enorme doorwerking. 4 Kaufmann probeerde Nietzsche weer in te voeren in de respectabele traditie van de Westerse cultuur, Heidegger presenteerde hem als de voltooiing van de Westerse metafysica. Even later introduceerde A. Danto, in een boek waarvan onlangs een nieuwe en uitgebreide editie verscheen, 5 Nietzsche op een manier die hem ook voor analytisch georienteerde filosofen interessant maakte. In alle gevallen werd Nietzsche dus gereha-1 De leden van de Nietzsche Research Group proberen zoveel mogelijk elkaar te informeren over nieuw verschenen literatuur. De uitgebreide besprekingen die zij daartoe maken vormen de basis van deze kroniek, en zijn te raadplegen op: www.nietzsche.nl (N-seminar -NS bookreviews) of: http://www.ru.nl/pracphil/nietzsche/NS_bookreviews.html . In volgorde van de omvang van hun bijdrage zijn de volgende personen co-auteur van deze kroniek: Paul VAN TONGEREN,
After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our dai... more After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our daily lives, the digital technologies that are currently being developed are actually fading away from sight. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are not only embedded in devices that we explicitly Buse^but increasingly become an intrinsic part of the material environment in which we live. How to conceptualize the role of these new technological environments in human existence? And how to anticipate the ways in which these technologies will mediate our everyday lives? In order to answer these questions, we draw on two approaches that each offers a framework to conceptualize these new technological environments: Postphenomenology and Material Engagement Theory. As we will show, each on their own, these approaches fail to do justice to the new environmental role of technology and its implications for human existence. But by bringing together Postphenomenology's account of technological mediation and Material Engagement Theory's account of engaging with environments, it becomes possible to sufficiently account for the new environmental workings of technology. To do justice to these new workings of environmental technologies, we introduce and develop the concept of BTechnological Environmentality.K eywords Active technological environments . Postphenomenology . Material Engagement Theory . Technological mediation . Human-technology relations Philos. Technol.
De visie dat religie en techniek afzonderlijke categorieën
zijn en zelfs een vijandige relatie on... more De visie dat religie en techniek afzonderlijke categorieën zijn en zelfs een vijandige relatie onderhouden, lijkt door de jaren steeds meer aanhang te hebben gekregen. Techniek zou leiden tot onttovering van de wereld, tot verplatting van de werkelijkheid. Vanuit instrumentalistische en deterministische benaderingen, waarin techniek primair wordt geassocieerd met controle en beheersing, wordt techniek buiten de mens geplaatst. Toch zijn religie en techniek moeilijker uit elkaar te trekken dan doorgaans wordt gedacht. De natuur technologisch manipuleren wil geenszins zeggen dat we haar volledig kunnen controleren. We kunnen de natuur alleen maar ‘beheersen’ voor zover we gehoorzamen aan datgene wat zich aan onze macht onttrekt.
Postphenomenology is an approach in philosophy of technology that investigates how technologies i... more Postphenomenology is an approach in philosophy of technology that investigates how technologies influence and shape world and self. Although postphenomenology has from the beginning expressed the ambition to offer a nonessentialist and nonfoundational framework, a structural development of this aspect is virtually absent. A Peircean pragmatism, as will be proposed, can provide this framework. The view of self-formation as sublimation, which will be derived from Peircean pragmatism, attempts to recognize that our environment, which is increasingly a technological environment and subject to radical change, greatly shapes who we are and influences who we ought to be and, at the same time, resists the idea that the self is not more than a plaything of contingent influences and forces.
Hoe verder met Europa? Deze vraag duidt veelal op de moeilijkheid Europa te smeden tot een eenhei... more Hoe verder met Europa? Deze vraag duidt veelal op de moeilijkheid Europa te smeden tot een eenheid. Het laatste jaar wordt dan al snel Brexit aangehaald als aanwijzing dat het “project Europa” is mislukt of juist als waarschuwing dat we niet zonder Europa kunnen. Ook wordt gewezen op de vluchtelingencrisis en de opkomst van nationalistische partijen, die met elkaar verweven zouden zijn. Nog anderen menen dat Europa in een identiteitscrisis verkeert en menen dat pas naar een oplossing kan worden gezocht als we weten wat Europa eigenlijk is: is Europa een republiek, een superstaat, een (gefragmenteerde) democratie, een Middeleeuws imperium, een bedrijf?
After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our dai... more After several technological revolutions in which technologies became ever more present in our daily lives, the digital technologies that are currently being developed are actually fading away from sight. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are not only embedded in devices that we explicitly Buse^but increasingly become an intrinsic part of the material environment in which we live. How to conceptualize the role of these new technological environments in human existence? And how to anticipate the ways in which these technologies will mediate our everyday lives? In order to answer these questions, we draw on two approaches that each offers a framework to conceptualize these new technological environments: Postphenomenology and Material Engagement Theory. As we will show, each on their own, these approaches fail to do justice to the new environmental role of technology and its implications for human existence. But by bringing together Postphenomenology's account of technological mediation and Material Engagement Theory's account of engaging with environments, it becomes possible to sufficiently account for the new environmental workings of technology. To do justice to these new workings of environmental technologies, we introduce and develop the concept of "Technological Environmentality."
Stromata: Revista semestral de filosofía y teología
La idea de “autoformación” a menudo se presenta como liberadora: el yo, en lugar de ser esencialm... more La idea de “autoformación” a menudo se presenta como liberadora: el yo, en lugar de ser esencialmente fijo o predeterminado, se atribuye el potencial de moldearse a sí mismo. Además, la auto-formación se desarrolla siempre como auto-formación tecnológica, loque da lugar a aspiraciones ilimitadas de auto-mejora. Esta visión se enfrenta con, almenos, dos problemas fundamentales: en primer lugar, la autotransformación radical no solo implica mejorar las capacidades, sino que también puede introducir estándares nuevos y diferentes para establecer lo que es “mejora”. En segundo lugar, si las tecnologías están moldeando cada vez más la estructura misma del yo, el yo no puede simplemente externalizar la tecnología y determinar de forma autónoma cómo quiere usarla para mejorar. Reconociendo estos problemas, propondré que, en lugar de entender la autoformación como mejora, se pueda capturar mejor como sublimación .
Brain imaging technologies are increasingly used to find networks and brain regions that are spec... more Brain imaging technologies are increasingly used to find networks and brain regions that are specific to the functional realization of particular aspects of the self. In this paper, we aim to show how neuroscientific research and techniques could be used in the context of self- formation without treating them as representations of an inner realm. To do so, we show first how a Cartesian framework underlies the interpretation and usage of brain imaging tech- nologies as functional evidence. To illustrate how material-technological inventions and developments can have a significant and lasting impact on views of the self, we show how this framework was influenced by another technology: the camera obscura. Subsequently, we show that brain imaging technologies challenge the idea that privileged access to the self can be obtained merely through introspection, indicating a strong discontinuity between the Cartesian and the current neuroscientific framework. Building on these insights, we reframe the self in terms of self-formation. This view neither regards the brain as an independent realizer of aspects of the self, nor assumes that self-knowledge can be obtained through introspection. From this perspective, self-formation is realized through critical self-identifi- cation: instead of offering representational knowledge of an ‘inner self,’ the potential use of brain imaging technologies within this framework lies in their capacity to offer what we call ‘extrospective knowledge’ that pragmatically can contribute to self-formation. Brain imag- ing technologies contribute to this process because they foreground our neurophysiology, which helps to critically integrate biological aspects into self-formation.
In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conceptio... more In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conception of the posthuman: tran- shumanists anticipate radical transformation of the human through technology and at the same time assume that the crite- ria to determine what is “normal” and what is “enhanced” are univocal, both in our present time and in the future. Inspired by Nietzsche’s notion of the Overhuman, the author argues that the slightest “historical and phenomenological sense” discloses copious variations of criteria, both diachronic and synchronic, for what can be considered “normal” and “enhanced.” Radical transformation through technology does not simply enable us to become “stronger,” “smarter,” or “healthier,” but it can and often will also change the very standard or yardstick with which we measure what counts as “stronger,” “smarter,” or “healthier.” Put yet differently: new and emerging technologies are not neutral means but often bring about different and, from our current per- spective, foreign standards for determining what are “normal” and “enhanced” capacities. Since the qualitative meanings of these terms are themselves not fixed, it is unintelligible and too reassuring to simply predict that new technologies will enhance human beings.
Phenomenology is an approach in philosophy that emerged around the end of the 19th century. It ai... more Phenomenology is an approach in philosophy that emerged around the end of the 19th century. It aims to study and describe reality as it appears in concrete experiences. That description proceeds as much as possible independent of theories that provide causal explanations and free of assumptions that have not been questioned and investigated. The word phenomenology appeared prior to the late 19th century. Indeed, the concept only gains widespread attention with the publication of Franz Brentano’s writings. Brentano presented a systematic psychology that was designed to form the basis of a “science of the soul” and shifted the focus from the content to the activities of the mind. His approach greatly influenced Edmund Husserl’s (1859–1938) philosophy, which in its turn can be considered the most important source for many phenomenological traditions. This entry introduces phenomenology, paying specific attention to some of the movements’ key thinkers.
In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conceptio... more In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conception of the posthuman: tran-shumanists anticipate radical transformation of the human through technology and at the same time assume that the criteria to determine what is " normal " and what is " enhanced " are univocal, both in our present time and in the future. Inspired by Nietzsche's notion of the Overhuman, the author argues that the slightest " historical and phenomenological sense " discloses copious variations of criteria, both diachronic and synchronic, for what can be considered " normal " and " enhanced. " Radical transformation through technology does not simply enable us to become " stronger, " " smarter, " or " healthier, " but it can and often will also change the very standard or yardstick with which we measure what counts as " stronger, " " smarter, " or " healthier. " Put yet differently: new and emerging technologies are not neutral means but often bring about different and, from our current perspective , foreign standards for determining what are " normal " and " enhanced " capacities. Since the qualitative meanings of these terms are themselves not fixed, it is unintelligible and too reassuring to simply predict that new technologies will enhance human beings. The last thing I would promise would be to " improve " humanity. I won't be setting up any new idols; let the old ones learn what it means to have feet of clay.
Cognitio Revista De Filosofia Issn 1518 7187 2316 5278, Jan 23, 2013
In this paper the author reflects on the problem of generalizing in a pluralistic society. Accord... more In this paper the author reflects on the problem of generalizing in a pluralistic society. According to him, what is much needed in our postmodern era is an ethical perspective that, on the one hand, does not disregard the different particular, empirical settings in which moral criteria emerge and are being developed, and, on the other hand, endorses the possibility of pursuing common goals and ideals. This perspective is developed through a reconstruction of a dialog between Kant and Peirce.
Wolfgang Müller-Lauter, the author of one of the most important Nietzsche books, if not the most ... more Wolfgang Müller-Lauter, the author of one of the most important Nietzsche books, if not the most important one of the last four decades, died on the 9th August, 2001. His book Nietzsche. Seine Philosophie der Gegensätze und die Gegensätze seiner Phibsophie (1971) and his many articles have been of decisive significance for international Nietzsche research. In his last two years,
In virtue of what do things have an identity? This question still lands us in great difficulties ... more In virtue of what do things have an identity? This question still lands us in great difficulties and confusion. Against the traditional Aristotelian view of reality, which clings to firmness and stability in the world, Nietzsche postulates his conception of reality as becoming. Nietzsche's alternative conception of the world is characterized as an organized strife of wills to power. The
Dat deze kroniek later verschijnt dan aanvankelijk gepland (het was de bedoeling elke vijf jaar e... more Dat deze kroniek later verschijnt dan aanvankelijk gepland (het was de bedoeling elke vijf jaar een overzicht van de literatuur te maken, maar de vorige dateert van 1999 2 ), is niet omdat er niet voldoende publicaties over Nietzsche waren. Wel integendeel! De explosie aan Nietzsche-literatuur sinds de jaren 1970 is nog altijd gaande en lijkt in omvang exponentieel toe te nemen. We kunnen de ontwikkeling tot nu toe kort als volgt resumeren. 3 De eerste sterke receptie van Nietzsche aan het eind van de negentiende en het begin van de twintigste eeuw werd gesmoord in de nazistische toeëigening van zijn denken. Walter Kaufmann probeerde Nietzsche daarvan weer te bevrijden met zijn in 1950 verschenen en nog steeds lezenswaardige Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist, maar veel belangrijker (ook belangrijker dan de eerder in Duitsland verschenen Nietzsche-boeken van K. Löwith in 1935, K. Jaspers in 1936 en E. Fink in 1960) werd de publicatie van Heideggers colleges over Nietzsche in 1961. Hoewel die colleges werden gegeven tussen 1936 en 1940, en hoewel Heidegger ook de eerder genoemde auteurs al meer of minder sterk had beïnvloed in hun Nietzsche-lectuur, kregen zijn colleges over Nietzsche vooral na hun publicatie in 1961 een enorme doorwerking. 4 Kaufmann probeerde Nietzsche weer in te voeren in de respectabele traditie van de Westerse cultuur, Heidegger presenteerde hem als de voltooiing van de Westerse metafysica. Even later introduceerde A. Danto, in een boek waarvan onlangs een nieuwe en uitgebreide editie verscheen, 5 Nietzsche op een manier die hem ook voor analytisch georienteerde filosofen interessant maakte. In alle gevallen werd Nietzsche dus gereha-1 De leden van de Nietzsche Research Group proberen zoveel mogelijk elkaar te informeren over nieuw verschenen literatuur. De uitgebreide besprekingen die zij daartoe maken vormen de basis van deze kroniek, en zijn te raadplegen op: www.nietzsche.nl (N-seminar -NS bookreviews) of: http://www.ru.nl/pracphil/nietzsche/NS_bookreviews.html . In volgorde van de omvang van hun bijdrage zijn de volgende personen co-auteur van deze kroniek: Paul VAN TONGEREN,
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Technology, 2021
“The uncanny valley” indicates that as a robot approaches a nearly human state, initial positive ... more “The uncanny valley” indicates that as a robot approaches a nearly human state, initial positive responses quickly turn to strong revulsion. After reviewing various explanations for this phenomenon, this chapter interprets the uncanny feeling towards humanoids not as a response to a lack of humanness but rather as a response to the inability to fathom and appropriate what makes the viewer of the robot different from the robot, that is, what makes the viewer human. The more technologies become intrusive, the more this in ability is intensified, making the technological uncanny a permanent dimension of self hood. As a result, technology cannot be simply externalized and conceived as an outside factor that can determine or liberate us, nor as something that can destroy or strengthen us. This insight calls for a more sophisticated account of how technology is shaping us, as well as how we would like to be shaped by it.
Vrije wil, een hersenkronkel? Wetenschappers en filosofen over een fascinerende vraag, 2013
De vraag of de vrije wil wel of niet bestaat, is de afgelopen jaren zowel binnen als buiten de we... more De vraag of de vrije wil wel of niet bestaat, is de afgelopen jaren zowel binnen als buiten de wetenschap onderwerp van hevige discussie. Niet op de laatste plaats omdat die discussie wordt gevoed door hersenonderzoekers die een voor veel mensen verontrustende positie verdedigen.‘De vrije wil bestaat niet’, houdt Victor Lamme ons voor, nog voordat we zijn boek heb- ben kunnen open slaan. Wij zijn ons brein, zo luidt de titel van het boek van de andere bestsellerauteur Dick Swaab. Hun boodschap is, althans op het eerste gezicht, duidelijk: al onze handelingen en beslissingen worden niet genomen door ons bewustzijn, maar door onze hersenen.Vanuit ver- schillende invalshoeken is betoogd dat de experimenten waarop auteurs als Swaab en Lamme zich beroepen niet bewijzen dat de vrije wil een illusie is, omdat ze niet eenduidig uitwijzen dat we nooit zelf onze keuzes kun- nen maken. In deze bijdrage wil ik aantonen dat voorstanders en tegenstanders van de vrije wil het weliswaar op veel niet te veronachtzamen punten met el- kaar oneens zijn, maar veelal een belangrijke vooronderstelling delen: beide groepen gaan uit van een soort vooraf bestaand ‘zelf’ waaraan de eigen- schappen ‘vrij’ of ‘onvrij’ kunnen worden toegeschreven. Die vooronder- stelling wil ik problematiseren teneinde aan te tonen dat de vraag naar de vrije wil niet goed kan worden begrepen en beantwoord als die wordt los- gemaakt van een meer basale vraag, namelijk wat voor ‘zelf ’ dat is waaraan vrijheid wordt ontzegd dan wel toegekend.Waaruit bestaat dat ‘zelf ’? Als we daarover meer duidelijkheid krijgen, zullen we hopelijk ook beter begrijpen wat we bedoelen met een ‘vrij zelf ’ of ‘onvrij zelf ’.
Brain imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic r... more Brain imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), are increasingly used not only to diagnose diseases and lesions but also to correlate brain activa- tion with psychological states and traits. Many philosophers have become interested in brain imaging technologies because the images that they display seem to have bearing on philosophical issues such as consciousness, free will, weakness of will, responsibility, moral deliberation, rational choice, agency, and identity. In this chapter I will critically discuss the role of brain imaging technolo- gies in free will debates. I will also briefly review the arguments of advocates and opponents of free will, focusing on how brain imaging technologies are used to support their positions. Then I will show how data and images pro- vided by brain scanners are used to draw causal relations between brain pro- cesses and cognitive functions and discuss methodological objections against this conception. Although these methodological reflections problematize, as we will see, the view of brain images as valid and reliable representations, they neither sufficiently challenge nor explicate how brain imaging technolo- gies instigate a framework that allows the brain to be approached as an agent that produces cognition and regulates behavior. Instead of taking brain imag- ing technologies as “material objects” that can neutrally represent certain faculties of the “subject,” a postphenomenological methodological approach attempts to reveal the particular way these technologies frame the relation between brain and self.
Wat is er met de dokter gebeurd? Ervaringen en bespiegelingen vanuit de medische arena, 2018
In de gezondheidszorg is er een speler die nooit zelf aan het woord komt, maar desondanks steeds ... more In de gezondheidszorg is er een speler die nooit zelf aan het woord komt, maar desondanks steeds vaker het laatste woord lijkt te hebben: de technologie, of beter gezegd: de ontzaglijke hoeveelheid aan verschillende technologieën die de medische praktijk rijk is. Maar hoe groot is de rol van technologieën in de gezondheidszorg eigenlijk? In hoeverre wordt ons ziekte- en gezondheidsbeeld in toenemende mate ingefluisterd door technologieën? Kunnen technologieën nog worden gezien als louter hulpmiddelen die de arts gebruikt in zijn behandeling? Of moet worden onderkend dat ze een plaats hebben verworven naast en misschien zelfs boven de arts? Hoe zullen verdere ontwikkelingen in de toepassing van bijvoorbeeld ‘big data’ die verhouding nog verder beïnvloeden? Kunnen arts en maatschappij samen met technologie optrekken om op een verantwoorde manier invulling te geven aan de geneeskunde? Wat is technologie eigenlijk en hoe verhoudt die zich vandaag de dag tot de mens, en meer in het bijzonder tot de dokter?
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Papers by Ciano Aydin
zijn en zelfs een vijandige relatie onderhouden, lijkt door
de jaren steeds meer aanhang te hebben gekregen. Techniek zou leiden tot onttovering van de wereld, tot verplatting
van de werkelijkheid. Vanuit instrumentalistische en deterministische benaderingen, waarin techniek primair wordt geassocieerd met controle en beheersing, wordt techniek buiten de mens geplaatst. Toch zijn religie en techniek moeilijker uit elkaar te trekken dan doorgaans wordt gedacht. De natuur technologisch manipuleren wil geenszins zeggen dat we haar volledig kunnen controleren. We kunnen de natuur alleen maar ‘beheersen’ voor zover we gehoorzamen aan datgene wat zich aan onze macht onttrekt.
zijn en zelfs een vijandige relatie onderhouden, lijkt door
de jaren steeds meer aanhang te hebben gekregen. Techniek zou leiden tot onttovering van de wereld, tot verplatting
van de werkelijkheid. Vanuit instrumentalistische en deterministische benaderingen, waarin techniek primair wordt geassocieerd met controle en beheersing, wordt techniek buiten de mens geplaatst. Toch zijn religie en techniek moeilijker uit elkaar te trekken dan doorgaans wordt gedacht. De natuur technologisch manipuleren wil geenszins zeggen dat we haar volledig kunnen controleren. We kunnen de natuur alleen maar ‘beheersen’ voor zover we gehoorzamen aan datgene wat zich aan onze macht onttrekt.
In deze bijdrage wil ik aantonen dat voorstanders en tegenstanders van de vrije wil het weliswaar op veel niet te veronachtzamen punten met el- kaar oneens zijn, maar veelal een belangrijke vooronderstelling delen: beide groepen gaan uit van een soort vooraf bestaand ‘zelf’ waaraan de eigen- schappen ‘vrij’ of ‘onvrij’ kunnen worden toegeschreven. Die vooronder- stelling wil ik problematiseren teneinde aan te tonen dat de vraag naar de vrije wil niet goed kan worden begrepen en beantwoord als die wordt los- gemaakt van een meer basale vraag, namelijk wat voor ‘zelf ’ dat is waaraan vrijheid wordt ontzegd dan wel toegekend.Waaruit bestaat dat ‘zelf ’? Als we daarover meer duidelijkheid krijgen, zullen we hopelijk ook beter begrijpen wat we bedoelen met een ‘vrij zelf ’ of ‘onvrij zelf ’.
In this chapter I will critically discuss the role of brain imaging technolo- gies in free will debates. I will also briefly review the arguments of advocates and opponents of free will, focusing on how brain imaging technologies are used to support their positions. Then I will show how data and images pro- vided by brain scanners are used to draw causal relations between brain pro- cesses and cognitive functions and discuss methodological objections against this conception. Although these methodological reflections problematize, as we will see, the view of brain images as valid and reliable representations, they neither sufficiently challenge nor explicate how brain imaging technolo- gies instigate a framework that allows the brain to be approached as an agent that produces cognition and regulates behavior. Instead of taking brain imag- ing technologies as “material objects” that can neutrally represent certain faculties of the “subject,” a postphenomenological methodological approach attempts to reveal the particular way these technologies frame the relation between brain and self.