The most important thing in ubiquitous technology is that human beings are connected by the huge mechanical network to the computer, communication system, electric sensors. As a result, the fundamental changes of not only individual lifes but also soc ...
The most important thing in ubiquitous technology is that human beings are connected by the huge mechanical network to the computer, communication system, electric sensors. As a result, the fundamental changes of not only individual lifes but also society will occur. These will bring about new philosophical problems in 21th century. Deeping of digital divides, proliferation of digital Nomads, confusions in individual identification, ethical and legal problems of privacy etc. These are all new issuses not covered yet in the philosophy of technology. The paper with title <Recognition through being Watched : Korean Society and Surveillance Camera> aims at revealing the complexity of issues pertaining to the proliferation of the surveillance camera in contemporary Korea. The significance of the camera that replaces human vision for the purpose of surveillance and record will be discussed in terms of a new kind of vision that defines the mode of cultural, psychical life in Korea. Against the dense presence of surveillance cameras, we will suggest that Steve Mann's concept of 'sousveillance' seems to offer a conceptual alternative to the existing mode of surveillance camera.
In the paper <Value-Neutrality and Political Nature of Nano-Technology> we examine the various social-ethical implications of nano-technology from historical perspectives, and suggest a number of concrete policy recommendations to tackle potential problems which may result from the development of nano-technology. We discuss the widespread view about the political nature of technology, and show that the uncertainty of technological development and the huge effect of future technology argue against the value-neutrality of technology and for the need of political intervention of technological development. How does technology speak to humans Bruno Latour's actor-network theory proposed a grand symmetry principle, in which nonhumans like technology are considered to be actors like humans. We traces the development of this Latourian philosophy of technology and explores his criticism of the traditional philosophy of technology. Especially, we reveal how Latour denounces the idea of Homo Fabre, technological determinism, the social construction of technology, and the Heideggerian pessimism on man-machine relationship.
What would be the architectural context of the "sustainability" It consists of the relationship between the global environment and the architecture. The modern architecture in this regard reveals many problems. We briefly survey the "postmodern" criticism. Finally our task would be a synthesis integrating the postmodern critics and the new philosophy of nature, which considers the balance between the human technology and the environment.
Nowdays cognitive neuroscientific studies of human mind and behavior seem challenging the traditional views on legal, ethical, and social responsibility of human being. In the paper <Brain, selh, and Society - Philosophical Issues in neuroscience and technology>, we are reviewing current ethical issues in neurosciences and examining some philosophical implications of them, such as the problem of free will. Hopefully, this work will be able to expand the existing discourse in biomedical ethics much further, especially in Korea.
In conclusion, as we have done, drawing out and establishment of some new philosophical issues from the ubiquitous-, nano-, bio-technologies in the 21th century is the core work for groping the new discourse of philosophy of technology. For doing this, in the first place, it is necessary that we reflect the previous works in the philosophy of technology critically. And also suggestion of new ways of thought such as methodologies of STS as well as new issues is needed. Lastly, the recognition that a technology should be considered as a complex networked system of things-human beings-societal relations is important.