The University of Texas at Dallas
HST 3377 Contemporary American Intellectual History
Philosophy and/of Technology
Summer 1994

Course Description

As new technologies increasingly occupy our cultural and economic interest, we seldom find the time or energy to explore their philosophical implications. But technological development has always come at some cost to those who choose to make use of new inventions, whether they be intended for the welfare of human beings (such as new drugs or medical tests) or more clearly destructive purposes (such as new bombs or missiles). Since the Industrial Revolution began in the eighteenth century, human beings have more and more frequently been called upon to make choices for which they have not always been philosophically prepared.

During the last half century, however, technology has found a central place in American philosophical thought. Intellectual historians such as Lewis Mumford, social critics such as Langdon Winner, and philosophers such as Don Ihde have described a field of inquiry that includes a critical assessment of the philosophical implications of technology. But since this critical assessment has not always been a part of technological development, it also seems necessary to consider the relationship between emerging technologies and the philosophical paradigms within which they were and are being developed.

This course, therefore, is designed to explore some of the issues which have arisen concerning the nature of technology and the role technologies play in human life. We will read several books which consider the history and nature of technology from differing viewpoints, including neo-pragmatism, feminism, and environmentalism. We will also view several videos, including Richard Gardner's ethnographic film, The Hunters, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times.

Lewis Mumford, Technics and Human Development

Elizabeth Fisher, Woman's Creation

Don Ihde, Philosophy of Technology, An Introduction

Langdon Winner, The Whale and the Reactor

Susan Griffin, Woman and Nature

Kurt Vonnegut, Player Piano

Students will be evaluated on the basis of a short (seven- to ten-page) research paper, class participation, and submission of student-generated questions that arise from the readings.

This course is designed to explore some of the issues which have arisen concerning the nature of technology and the role technologies play in human life. Some of these issues are primarily historical, but all contain a philosophical dimension--and the philosophical implications of technology as an essential human activity will be the focus of the course. All readings are assigned on the Weekly Schedule.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS.

In order to complete this class successfully, you will be asked to fulfill the following requirements.

Submit a total of six sets of questions that arise from your interpretation of the materials you read. Each set consists of at least two and as many as four questions that you yourself articulate on topics that you deem important or essential to an understanding of the particular view of technology with which you are concerned. We will discuss the content and form of these questions in class, but the following guidelines should help:

a. Questions will form the basis of class discussions on a particular book, so that the essential element of a good question is that it generates discussion. Single answer, right-or-wrong, agree-or-disagree, yes-or-no questions stifle conversation and must be avoided. So must essay or short-answer questions of the type that are found at the ends of chapters in textbooks ("what are the three most important factors . . ."). "How" or "why" questions that involve interpretation of the material and that make connections as we move through different topics produce the best results.

b. Try to establish a context for your questions. Instead of simply asking, "why did human beings develop x technology?" show where the question comes from: "Since the people of the middle ages in Europe believed that they each occupied a particular station in life, how is it that anything new got invented? If they were essentially told what to believe rather than being encouraged to question their beliefs, why would they sculpt ornaments on a cathedral, for instance, that weren't simply the same old representations of the same old saints, doing the same old thing? How could a seemingly static society generate innovation?"

c. Avoid questions that ask your respondents to do research either in the book you've been reading or outside the text. Questions that can be answered through research are better left to research papers, and do not foster discussions. The purpose of these questions is not to test your or your classmates' grasp of particular facts reported in a text, but rather to help you and your classmates understand as much as possible about why the book was chosen for you in the first place, what the writer has to say on the topic he or she is writing about, and what implication this material has for a philosophical understanding of technology.

Questions will be graded as follows:

a. "A" questions are contextually grounded, well-articulated, and touch on important implications of a particular text. They are grammatically and syntactically flawless, elegantly conceived, and beautifully presented.

b. "B" questions are potentially interesting, but lack a clear context or are not clearly enough articulated to be "A" questions. If I have to ask you too many questions of my own in order to get at the "meat" of your question, but if I sense that you are on to something important, the question will rate a "B".

c. "C" questions may have some redeeming value hidden within them, but they lack the coherence and focus that can be evident even in "B" questions. Warning: any questions which indicate an attempt to "snow" the instructor with your erudition and expertise and which are designed to make either her or your classmates look like comparative idiots (i.e., "BS" or "heifer dung" questions) will be summarily dismissed with a grade of "C-" and will not be eligible for rewriting.

Rewrites: any questions with potential for a higher grade may be rewritten once. I will comment on the merits of each question you submit, and if you choose to rewrite a given question, you must respond to any deficits I point out and any questions I raise. Rewrites must be submitted no later than one class meeting following the assignment--I do not want a plethora of rewrites trickling in long after we've covered a particular topic.

If you submit more than two questions in a set, I will grade all of them and record the two highest grades. You may, however, submit no more than four questions per set. Your question set grade will be based on the best five sets you submit (in other words, you may drop your least successful set grade). The question sets will count 25% of your final grade.

The major portion of your grade will consist of a research paper of approximately seven to ten pages which deals with the philosophical and historical implications of technology. In order to facilitate your best possible performance of this requirement, I ask that you do the following:

a. Submit a proposal--a short essay of approximately two pages, accompanied by a bibliography that indicates the feasibility of your project--by the fourth week of class (June 23). To help you develop a topic and to initiate your research, I will hold two research labs before the proposal is due, one of which will consist in part of a tour of library research facilities conducted by one of our research librarians. Another research lab is scheduled for June 27, after I have looked at your proposal, to help you refine your sources and focus on any problems with your topic that show up in your proposal. The proposal will be graded, and will count 25% of your final grade. I am looking for focus, clarity, feasibility, and bibliographical thoroughness, as well as flawless grammar and syntax. Remember: the proposal is an essay about your topic. Tell me what you propose to do, how you will go about it, and what you hope to accomplish.

b. Submit a draft of your paper by July 6. Although I will not grade your draft, you must submit one by this date. I will evaluate your progress, make suggestions, and offer stylistic and technical advice designed to help you write the best paper you can.

c. The final paper, which counts 50% toward your final grade, is due on Monday, July 18 (the scheduled final exam date). At that time you will also be asked to discuss the results of your research with your classmates, in convivial surroundings to be determined later.

An alternative creative project, which also counts 50% toward your final grade, is listed below.

Since this class is discussion-centered, and since some of the material we will discuss will be presented in class (lectures and films), attendance and active participation are essential. Failure to attend class faithfully, submit required materials on time, and participate energetically in discussions can mean a grade deficit of 10%, which in turn can make a substantial difference in borderline grades. A grade of A for this course cannot be earned without a satisfactory attendance/participation assessment. A passing grade for the course cannot be earned without submitting all of the required materials.