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Teaching about technology, at all levels of education, can only be done properly when those who teach have a clear idea about what it is that they teach. In other words: they should be able to give a decent answer to the question: what is technology? In the philosophy of technology that question is explored. Therefore the philosophy of technology is a discipline with a high relevance for those who teach about technology. Literature in this field, though, is not always easy to access for non-philosophers. This book provides an introduction to the philosophy of technology for such people. It offers a survey of the current state-of-affairs in the philosophy of technology, and also discusses the relevance of that for teaching about technology. The book can be used in introductory courses on the philosophy of technology in teacher education programs, engineering education programs, and by individual educators that are interested in the intriguing phenomenon of technology that is so important in our contemporary society.
List of contents
Philosophy of Technology: What and Why?.- Technological Artifacts.- Technological Knowledge.- Technological Processes.- Technology and the Nature of Humans.- Ethics and Aesthetics of Technology.- Learners' Philosophies about Technologies.- Reconceptualizing Technology through Education.- Practical Issues in Teaching about Technology.- Questions and Assignments.- Resources for Further Reading and Thinking.
About the author
The author is assistant professor in philosophy of technology at the Eindhoven University of Technology and affiliate professor in reformational philosophy at the Delft University of Technology (both in the Netherlands).
Before that he was physics teacher and technology teacher educator.
He is currently the editor-in-chief of the International Journal for Technology & Design Education.
Summary
Teaching about technology, at all levels of education, can only be done properly when those who teach have a clear idea about what it is that they teach. In other words: they should be able to give a decent answer to the question: what is technology? In the philosophy of technology that question is explored. Therefore the philosophy of technology is a discipline with a high relevance for those who teach about technology. Literature in this field, though, is not always easy to access for non-philosophers. This book provides an introduction to the philosophy of technology for such people. It offers a survey of the current state-of-affairs in the philosophy of technology, and also discusses the relevance of that for teaching about technology. The book can be used in introductory courses on the philosophy of technology in teacher education programs, engineering education programs, and by individual educators that are interested in the intriguing phenomenon of technology that is so important in our contemporary society.
