In the
philosophy of technology, the device paradigm is the way "
technological device
A device is usually a constructed tool. Device may also refer to:
Technology Computing
* Device, a colloquial term encompassing desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.
* Device file, an interface of a device driver
* Peripheral, any devi ...
s" are perceived and consumed in modern society, according to
Albert Borgmann. It explains the intimate relationship between people, things and technological devices, defining most economic relations and also shapes
social and
moral
A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader, or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. A ...
relations in general.
The concept of the device paradigm is a critical response to the
Heidegger's notion of ''
Gestell
''Gestell'' (or sometimes ''Ge-stell'') is a German word used by twentieth-century German philosopher Martin Heidegger to describe what lies behind or beneath modern technology. Heidegger introduced the term in 1954 in ''The Question Concerning Tec ...
''. It has been widely endorsed by philosophers of technology, including
Hubert Dreyfus,
Andrew Feenberg, and
Eric Higgs, as well as environmental philosopher
David Strong.
Devices
For Borgmann, a device is a thing that is used as a means to an end. Therefore, a device is seen as "the compound of commodity and machinery" while "the distinctive pattern of division and connection of its components is the device paradigm." This term is meant to signify or distinguish between technological devices and "focal things and practices," which matter to people in their everyday affairs.
[Borgmann (1984), p196.]
A focal thing is something of ultimate concern and significance, which may be masked by the device paradigm, and must be preserved by its intimate connection with practice. Borgmann used the case of
wine to explain this. He cited that the focal thing in
winemaking involves the implements used to produce wine. Wine becomes a device when it employs technology and machinery not merely to produce wine but obtain specific qualities such as grapey, smooth, light, and fruity flavors or clean and clear appearance.
As technological devices increase the availability of a commodity or service, they also push these devices into the background where people do not pay attention to their destructive tendencies.
[Borgmann (1984), p41.] For example, the technology of central heating means that warmth is readily available and family members can retreat into the solitude of their rooms instead of working to chop wood or stoke the fires. Social interaction is reduced and the family struggles to find activities that enable such nurturing and care for each other.
The ubiquitous nature of information technology also makes it an important example of device paradigm.
[Borgmann (1984), p207.]
See also
*
The Question Concerning Technology
''The Question Concerning Technology'' (german: Die Frage nach der Technik) is a work by Martin Heidegger, in which the author discusses the essence of technology. Heidegger originally published the text in 1954, in ''Vorträge und Aufsätze''.
...
Notes
External links
University of Montana Information Page for Albert Borgmann* Review of ''Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life'' in NetFuture
Techné: Journal of the Society for Philosophy and Technology, Vol 6 No 1
Special issue devoted to Borgmann's Holding onto Reality, Fall 2002.
The Device Paradigm
Class notes by Phil Rogaway, Spring 2004.
Pieter Tijmes, Society for Philosophy and Technology, Vol 3 No 1, Fall 1997.
by Hubert Dreyfus
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Technology in society
Concepts in social philosophy
Philosophy of technology