Inside the Politics of Technology

The old saying that 'man is the measure of all things' presupposes free and autonomous human beings on the one hand, and neutral instruments on the other. Humanism plus instrumentalism, however, is a double illusion, this volume argues. Science and technology are not simply the means to reach human ends. On the contrary, they also actively shape human beings, their goals, their meanings, and their mutual relations.By means of case studies of technological innovations as diverse as video-cameras, electric cars, electronic notebooks, pregnancy tests, and genetic screening devices the authors of Inside the Politics of Technology discuss the implications of this so-called 'co-production' of science, technology, and society for our philosophical and political ideas about humanity and technology. Are human beings the only ones endowed with agency, or do technological artifacts act as well? And if they do, then how should we understand or practice a politics of technology?Hans Harbers was trained as an historical sociologist and is currently Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Groningen. His research and publications focus on the roles of nonhuman actors in the co-production of knowledge, power, and morality.With contributions by: Cornelis Disco, Philip Brey, Nelly Oudshoorn, Margo Brouns, Ellen van Oost, Dirk Stemerding, Annemiek Nelis, Peter-Paul Verbeek, Petran Kockelkoren, Boelie Elzen, Tsjalling Swierstra, Jaap Jelsma, and Marcus Popkema.