Engineering philosophy in Dual Nature tradition
Description
The lecture starts with a very brief sketch of the history of and various approaches in the philosophy of engineering. This sketch serves as a background for a more detailed characterisation of the Delft approach, in which an analytic-philosophical approach and a focus on the development of technology rather than the (social) use of technology are paramount. I will then elaborate on the question of what kind of objects are technical artefacts, the question that has been central to the Dual Nature project. How do they differ from natural objects, and how do they differ from social objects? I will also reflect on why this question matters, both intellectually and practically. Finally, time permitting, I will show how the outcomes of the Dual Nature project shed new light on the long-standing problem of the moral status of technical artefacts: Can technical artefacts themselves be qualified as morally good or bad, or can that only make sense in relation to the use of technical artefacts?
Speaker(s)
Peter Kroes (b. 1950) studied engineering physics at Eindhoven University of Technology and received his PhD from Nijmegen University for a study on philosophical problems related to the concept of time in physics (1982). Since 1995, he has been a professor of general philosophy, in particular philosophy of technology, at Delft University of Technology. His main areas of interest are philosophy of technology and philosophy of science.
Recent book publications:
- Artefact kinds; ontology and the human-made world, eds. Maarten Franssen, Peter Kroes, Thomas A.C. Reydon, Pieter Vermaas, Synthesis Library 365, Springer, 2013;
- Technical artefacts and moral agency, eds. Peter Kroes, Peter-Paul Verbeek, Springer, 2013;
- Technical artefacts: creations of mind and matter, Springer, 2012;
- A philosophy of technology; from technical artefacts to socio-technical systems, eds. Pieter Vermaas, Peter Kroes, Ibo van de Poel, Maarten Franssen, Wybo Houkes, Morgan and Claypool, 2011;
- Functions in biological and artificial worlds; comparative philosophical perspectives, eds. Ulrich Krohs, Peter Kroes, MIT Press, 2009
Location
Utrecht
Organiser
Philosophy & Technology
Name and contact details for information
Further information from drs.ing. Henk Uijttenhout (vz), tel: 070 - 3875293 / 06 - 26715554 or via the e-mail address below.