Philosophy of the technical process

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the fundamental question about the technical relationship is investigated.The term 'technology' was found to be misused out of contexts by various disciplinaryauthors. Some authors used it for the notion that could better be described as artefacts.Consequently what was called 'technology transfer' was little more than artefactualtransfer. Others concentrated on production and design that could better be describedby techno-practice. Still others confused so-called 'technological knowledge' with whatcould be described as techno-knowledge and techno-literacy.A survey of notions of the authors in the field of Science and Technology Studies(STS), especially those that focussed on technology was done and it was found that thefollowing elements were identifiable: Techno-practice for the 'practice' of the making,forming, designing and maintaining of artefacts. For this was required Technoknowledge,for the know-how and experience in making, and maintaining theseartefacts. Furthermore the element of Techno-science for the technical science thatwas recording knowledge from different sciences like mathematics, physics andelectronics etc. to help in the solutions of techno-practice was identified. Lastly technoliteracywas distinguished from techno-knowledge, indicating the capability to useartefacts without necessarily having the knowledge to fix them. Driving a car but notbeing able to fix it sounds like a good example.The result of techno-practice is normally an artefact. What was interesting, is thatmany saw the result of technology as technology. Many associate an artefact with theprocess of techno-practice under the term 'technology'. An amazing paradigmparalysiswas found that could not distinguish the technical from the technological andcannot be better illustrated than by the biased statement: 'Clearly computers aretechnology… where-as clearly computers are artefacts, the result of a technicaldesign and production process.Lastly the transcendental empirical method was used to consider the ontic(transcendental) conditions required for this technical relationship and it was describedin an ontological, anthropological and societal framework.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University