Carroll, La Shun L. (2017) A Comprehensive Definition of Technology from an Ethological Perspective. Social Sciences, 6 (4). p. 126. ISSN 2076-0760
|
Text
A Comprehensive Definition of Technology from an Ethological Perspective FULL TEXT.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (270kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Definitions, uses, and understanding of technology have varied tremendously since Jacob Bigelow’s Elements of Technology in 1829. In addition to providing a frame of reference for understanding technology, the purpose of this study was to define or describe it conceptually. A determination of dimensions comprising technology was made by critiquing historical and contemporary examples of definition by Bigelow and Volti. An analytic-synthetic method was employed to deconstruct both definitions spanning two centuries to derive aspects of technology. Definitions relying on an anthropocentric “how humans use technology” viewpoint failed to account for different perspectives that were found when an ethological perspective inquiring “how technology is used” served as a framework. Findings support qualification of insulin as technology according to the following comprehensive definition: something inherently intelligent enough to either function, be used to function, or be interpreted as having a function that intelligent beings—human or otherwise—can appreciate, something devised, designed (by primary intention), or discovered (by secondary intention) serving particular purposes from a secular standpoint without humankind creating it, or a significant beneficiary of rationally derived knowledge that is “used for” a purpose without itself necessarily being translated into something material that “does” autonomously, or dependently when used.
| Export/Citation: | EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL |
| Social Networking: |
| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creators: |
|
||||||
| Keywords: | definition of technology; science; philosophy; STS; science and the public; theory of technology | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Technology |
||||||
| Depositing User: | Dr. La Shun Carroll | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 01 Nov 2017 15:23 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 01 Nov 2017 15:23 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 14078 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Social Sciences | ||||||
| Publisher: | MDPI | ||||||
| Official URL: | http://doi.org/10.3390/socsci6040126 | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.3390/socsci6040126 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Technology |
||||||
| Date: | 23 October 2017 | ||||||
| Page Range: | p. 126 | ||||||
| Volume: | 6 | ||||||
| Number: | 4 | ||||||
| ISSN: | 2076-0760 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/14078 |
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Altmetric.com
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/style/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}