Paul Ricoeur has been one of the most influential and intellectually challenging philosophers of the last century, and his work has contributed to a vast array of fields: studies of language, of history, of ethics and politics. However, he has up until recently only had a minor impact on the philosophy of technology. Interpreting Technology aims to put Ricoeur's work at the centre of contemporary philosophical thinking concerning technology. It investigates his project of critical hermeneutics for rethinking established theories of technology, the growing ethical and political impacts of technologies on the modern lifeworld, and ways of analysing global sociotechnical systems such as the Internet. Ricoeur's philosophy allows us to approach questions such as: how could narrative theory enhance our understanding of technological mediation? How can our technical practices be informed by the ethical aim of living the good life, with and for others, in just institutions? And how does the emerging global media landscape shape our sense of self, and our understanding of history? These questions are more timely than ever, considering the enormous impact technologies have on daily life in the 21st century: on how we shape ourselves with health apps, how we engage with one-another through social media, and how we act politically through digital platforms.
Mark Coeckelbergh is professor of the philosophy of media and technology at the University of Vienna. Alberto Romele is associate professor of the philosophy of technology at the ETHICS Lab of the Lille Catholic University. Wessel Reijers is postdoctoral Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute.
Introduction: Ricoeur's philosophy of technology Mark Coeckelbergh, Alberto Romele, Wessel Reijers Part I: Ricoeur and theories of technology 1. Hermeneutics of Technology Beyond the Empirical Turn Jos de Mul 2. Postphenomenology and the Hermeneutic Ambiguity of Technology Eoin Carney 3. How Flat Should We Keep the Social? Jonne Hoek & Bas de Boer 4. Ricoeur and Feminist Cyberontology Annemie Halsema / 5. How Ricoeur Reads Technology Critically David Kaplan Part II: Ricoeur's ethics, education, and politics of technology 6. Digital Hermeneutics and Ethics Noel Fitzpatrick 7. Can there be a Science of Education? David Lewin 8. Reading the Body Geoffrey Dierckxsens 9. Thinking Feminist Technologies of Memory Marjolaine Deschenes 10. Technology, Innovation and Responsibility Guido Gorgoni & Robert Gianni Part III: Ricoeur and modern technologies 11. Reversed Hermeneutics Bruno Gransche 12. Paul Ricoeur and the Second Digital Turn Alain Loute 13.The Force of Action in the Technological Polis Todd Mei 14. Moral Capability and Biomedical Neuroenhancement Eileen Brennan References / Index
