Description

When technology is developed and used, much more changes at the same time, such as market relations or the design of daily life. One change that is often overlooked is the change in needs. The lecture examines the tense relationship between the development of technology and the fulfilment of needs. On one side is the idea that an innovation can only be successful if it fulfils a personal or societal need. On the other hand, history shows that, on the contrary, technical innovations also lead to new needs. This tension raises philosophical, sociological and design questions.

The lecture follows two lines. First, the various elaborations of the concept of 'need' in technical change are discussed. Much relevant literature is available from the fields of economics, psychology and culture. A recurring theme is how needs depend on historical conditions. The second line discusses a number of examples, such as the arrangement of water supplies in Paris around 1800, the rise of photography around 1900 and the spread of the Internet. The pattern that appears in these is that innovations are transformed into needs and eventually into rights. The conclusion is that the distinction between real needs and artificial needs is misleading. Rather, the relevant and sensible question is which needs we can afford

Speaker(s)

Prof.dr.ir. Harro van Lente has been Socrates Professor of Philosophy of Sustainable Development at Maastricht University since 2010 and also Associate Professor of Innovation at Utrecht University. He studied physics and philosophy at the University of Twente and has published widely on the role of expectations in science and technology. His research interests concern the social fate of emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, hydrogen and medical technologies. This includes the politics of knowledge production, philosophy of technology, Technology Assessment, futures studies and the role of intermediary organisations. Harro van Lente is also Programme Director Technology Assessment of NanoNextNL, the leading Dutch research consortium for nanotechnology

Location

Meeting centre, Vredenburg 19

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

hbmuijttenhout@hotmail.com