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This module is an introduction to ways of thinking about technology, using historical, sociological and philosophical perspectives.
Thinking About Technology
The module starts with lectures and seminars on fundamental questions: what is technology? Is technology socially shaped? Do artefacts have politics? What are the common mistakes in thinking about technology? The module then addresses major themes (industrialisation and division of labour, technological lock-in, gender and technology, non-Western technology and maintenance) and key theories and models (Marx, Foucault, Heidegger). The module ends by addressing provocative questions such as: can machines think? Can machines be ethical? Do machines evolve?
Course Objectives:
The aim of the module is to provide students with the knowledge of the ways of thinking about technology, philosophical, sociological and historical.
By the end of this course you should:
- Apply knowledge of ways of thinking about technology, philosophical, sociological and historical.
- Possess skills for interpreting technology in the modern world