Technology is a term that can refer to material objects and techniques that have the capacity to influence human societies. It is also a term that can describe methods of organization. The meaning of technology for a person or a group is dependent on the context in which the term is used.
Philosophical reflection on technology has spanned two centuries. It is important to understand how technological change is shaped by the people who use and develop it. This is crucial to both those who use and develop technology and those who study it.
Philosophy of technology has often been concerned with understanding how the social uses of technology impacts our lives. It has also been concerned with how technology affects our ability to adapt to a changing environment.
Technologists often have a limited understanding of social issues. They often point to governments for addressing social problems. Governments have few incentives to address these issues. However, a new Luddite movement has arisen to mitigate societal impacts of technology.
During the past century, philosophical reflection on technology has often focused on determining the meaning of technology in society. It has also focused on the rationale for accepting theories and the method of knowledge generation.
While these issues do not directly touch the worlds of technologists and philosophers, they have played a key role in the development of technology. During the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a positive attitude toward technology was present.
