Philosophy response

Philosophy response

Response to question one

The technological attitude or way of seeing the world, according to Heidegger Martin, is that “Technology is not equivalent to the essence of technology.” Heidegger says, first of all, technology is not an instrument. A human being thinks technology is a means for an end which it is not since it is much bigger than that.” Heidegger explains that the essence of technology is by no means anything technological hence humans shall never experience their relationship to the nature of technology. Heidegger claims that technology is not a product of human activity since people think they are the ones who make technologies, but technologies come from somewhere else. Heidegger state that human beings believe techniques are beautiful and convenient to have. Still, they are dangerous and not just a little bit risky; technologies are the greatest danger.

The technological attitude or way of seeing the world, according to Carl Schmitt, is that humans are immersed within the spirit of technology. Schmitt claimed that the sense of technicity provides the analytical purpose of allowing him to differentiate between the belief in technology and technology itself. While technology signals the factual development of mechanistic progress and its link to natural science, the spirit of technicity, in Schmitt’s own words, is “perhaps evil and demonic spirit, but not one which can be dismissed as mechanistic and attributed to technology.” According to Schmitt, there is always a main central sphere that, as it were, represents the mental paradigm and intellectual prism of age. Schmitt continues to mention four, linking each area to a century of European history the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, respectively. “There are four great, simple, secular stages corresponding to the four centuries and proceeding from the theological to the metaphysical sphere, from there to the humanitarian-moral and finally to the economic sphere.” At the core of this sequence from sphere to sphere, Schmitt places the concept of neutralization. Schmitt claims that the change from a main central area to a new one implies the intellectual neutralization of concepts that previously could only be grasped through the prism of the past central sphere. “But the essential point for me is that theology, the former central sphere, was abandoned because it was controversial, in favour of another neutral sphere” belief in technology has taken over. Schmitt articulates it with utmost clarity: “The evidence of the widespread belief in technology is based only on the proposition that the absolute and ultimate neutral ground has been found in technology since there is nothing more neutral“.

Response to question Two

According to Heidegger, the technology of using smart phones as an instrument has both its advantages and disadvantages. Heidegger claims that technology is not an instrument, yet a smart phone is an instrument that helps people to perform certain functions efficiently but at the same time is meant for an end. The technology in smart phones helps it to ease the communication between two or more people and at the same time, it is a means to an end since at least to the end of many lives of humans. Heidegger claims that technology comes from somewhere else different from human inventions, but most smart phones are human inventions, and they are continually upgrading periodically. Heidegger claims that technology has a lot of danger since most of the smart phones can lead the users to risks of different kinds, especially health-wise. Based on modern medical technology, technology can be an instrument and not a means to an end. In most hospitals, they are many technological types of equipment that help to save lives not end them. The different types of equipment in health centres are inventions and researches done by humans and not that they are coming from somewhere else.

According to Schmitt, technology signals the factual development of mechanistic progress and its link to natural science, the spirit of technicity that he termed perhaps evil and demonic spirit. The technology behind the smart phone originated from somewhere and periodically it is advancing as stated by Schmitt. The use of smart phones is what makes it evil and demonic since people tend to use it for the wrong reasons. On the side of the modern medical technology, they originated from somewhere and periodically it is advancing as stated by Schmitt and the use of the technology is what makes it not evil and demonic since people tend to use it for the right reasons which are to save lives.

Response to question three.

Some of the downsides and risks of viewing the work this way are that they deter development in society. Some of the disadvantages and dangers of seeing the work this way are that they prevent the world from connecting, limits entertainment, and prevents data transfer. Having a negative notion of the smart phones makes it add for people to communicate in the time of need even if it is a lifesaving situation, and the phones are the only way to call for help. Smart phones can be used to contact the health officer to go and save lives in situations like accidents and sickness; hence they are not used to end lives if correctly used. Smart phones can be used to transfer crucial medical research data from one party to the other since they could be relevant in formulating new cures of the incurable diseases when it comes to modern medical technology.

Response to question four

There is a way to reform ourselves such that we can reduce the risks is by correctly using the technology. By using technology in the right way is by coming up with different types of equipment that will increase positive development in society, not for wrongdoings. The equipment creators and manufacturers should program the smart phones to prevent cyber bullying but aid in societal development.