Martin Heidegger: the Question Concerning Technology

Summary

This video script explores Martin Heidegger's philosophical critique of technology in 'The Question Concerning Technology.' It challenges the common view of technology as a neutral tool, arguing that it is a revealing mode of being with profound moral implications. Heidegger suggests that technology shapes our understanding of the world and can reduce beings to mere resources, potentially jeopardizing our humanity. The script calls for a deeper reflection on our relationship with technology, urging caution against complacency and advocating for a mindful approach to our technological engagement.

Takeaways

• 🤖 The script discusses Heidegger's philosophy on technology, emphasizing that he is not against technology but seeks to understand its nature.
• 📚 Heidegger is renowned for 'Being and Time,' but his work 'The Question Concerning Technology' is highlighted as an underrated yet significant critique of modernity.
• 🧐 The video aims to make Heidegger's complex ideas accessible, suggesting that understanding 'Being and Time' provides context for 'The Question Concerning Technology'.
• 🌟 Heidegger's essay is considered a profound critique of modernity, blending phenomenology and existentialism with critical theory.
• 💡 Technology is not merely an external system but is intrinsically linked with human beings, challenging the traditional view of technology as a separate entity.
• 🔍 Heidegger encourages looking beyond the utility of technology to understand its essence, arguing that our usual perspective blinds us to its true nature.
• 🚫 Heidegger rejects the notion of technology as a neutral tool, asserting that it carries moral implications and can alter society's trajectory.
• 🌐 Technology is described as a 'clearing' that reveals and exposes ideas, shaping our understanding of the world and ourselves within it.
• 🏭 The concept of 'standing reserve' illustrates how the world is viewed as a resource to be exploited, reflecting a loss of relationship with nature and each other.
• 🤝 Heidegger laments the loss of authentic relationships in a technological society, where human interactions can become mere means to productivity and utility.
• ⚠️ The script warns of the existential dangers of a technological mindset that assumes technology will solve all problems, potentially leading to complacency in the face of crises like climate change.
• 🔧 Heidegger is not anti-technology but calls for a critical examination of our relationship with it, advocating for a deeper understanding of its metaphysical essence and impact on our humanity.

Q & A

What is the main concern of Martin Heidegger regarding technology?

Heidegger's main concern is the nature and essence of technology, and how it shapes our understanding of the world and ourselves, rather than merely being a neutral tool or an external system.

What is the relationship between Heidegger's 'Being and Time' and his essay 'The Question Concerning Technology'?

The essay 'The Question Concerning Technology' is a part two follow up to 'Being and Time', building upon the phenomenological and existentialist themes to explore the metaphysical nature of technology and its impact on modernity.

How does Heidegger define the essence of technology?

Heidegger defines the essence of technology as a way of revealing or a 'clearing', which is not just about physical devices but how technology frames our interaction with and understanding of the world.

What does Heidegger mean by 'Standing Reserve'?

'Standing Reserve' refers to Heidegger's concept where the world and all its elements, including humans, are seen merely as resources to be exploited and used, devoid of intrinsic value or relationship.

How does Heidegger view the transformation of human relationships in the context of technology?

Heidegger suggests that technology can reduce human relationships to mere utility, transforming genuine connections into means for productivity or business gain, thus losing the authentic companionship.

What is the concept of 'poiesis' as discussed by Heidegger?

Poiesis, in Heidegger's terms, refers to the different modes of revealing or working with nature. He contrasts the more harmonious and poetic revealing of pre-industrial times with the brutal and utilitarian revealing of the modern technological age.

What is Heidegger's stance on the neutrality of technology?

Heidegger rejects the idea of technology being neutral. He argues that technology carries moral implications and significantly influences the trajectory of society, thus it cannot be seen as a mere tool.

How does Heidegger perceive the danger of technology in relation to human authenticity?

Heidegger sees the danger of technology as a threat to the authenticity of our lives, as it encourages a mindset that values productivity and utility over genuine human relationships and connection with nature.

What is Heidegger's view on the future of technology and humanity?

Heidegger is not anti-technology; rather, he critiques the current technological mindset. He believes that despite our modern capabilities, we may still find a way to live in harmony with nature and maintain the sacredness of pre-industrial society.

What is the purpose of Heidegger's essay 'The Question Concerning Technology'?

The essay serves as a critique of modernity and an inquiry into the metaphysical nature of technology, urging us to reflect on our relationship with technology and its role in shaping our understanding of the world and our existence.

How does Heidegger suggest we should approach technology?

Heidegger suggests we should approach technology with caution and critical thinking, questioning its essence and impact on our lives, rather than blindly accepting it as a neutral or inherently positive force.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Heidegger's Philosophy on Technology

The first paragraph introduces the philosophical perspective of Martin Heidegger on technology. It clarifies that Heidegger is not against technology but seeks to understand its essence. The speaker mentions the development of biophysical technology that could manipulate human beings, emphasizing Heidegger's work 'Being and Time' as a foundation for understanding his 'Question Concerning Technology.' The paragraph underscores Heidegger's phenomenological and existentialist approach to technology, arguing that it is not merely an external system but an integral part of human existence. Heidegger challenges the conventional view of technology as a neutral tool, asserting that it carries moral implications and can alter society's trajectory.

05:03

🌐 The Metaphysical Dangers of Technology

Paragraph two delves into Heidegger's three essential claims about technology: it is not just a tool, it evolves beyond human control, and it poses a significant metaphysical risk. The speaker explains Heidegger's concept of technology as a 'clearing' that reveals the world to us, contrasting it with the modern view of the world as a 'standing reserve' of resources to be exploited. This perspective reduces everything, including people, to a means for utility, severing the relational context that Heidegger believes is fundamental to our existence. The paragraph also discusses how technology affects human interactions and organizations, transforming them into mere resources for productivity and profit.

10:06

🛠 The Impact of Technology on Human Relations and Nature

In the third paragraph, the discussion continues on how technology, as a means of revealing and understanding, changes our relationship with nature and each other. Heidegger criticizes the modern technological mindset that views nature and people as resources, leading to a loss of the sacred elements of our being. The paragraph contrasts the pre-industrial 'poiesis' that worked in harmony with nature to the current brutal and jagged approach that seeks to control and exploit it. Heidegger warns of the existential dangers of complacency in technology and the potential hypocrisy of relying on future technological solutions to current problems, such as climate change.

15:08

🚀 Heidegger's Critique and Hope for a Technological Reawakening

The final paragraph summarizes Heidegger's critique of the modern technological mindset and his hope for a reawakening to the sacredness of pre-industrial society. The speaker emphasizes that Heidegger is not anti-technology but rather against the obsession with productivity and resources that it fosters. Heidegger's work is presented as a reminder to look deeper into the metaphysical nature of technology and to avoid becoming complacent in our reliance on it. The paragraph concludes with a personal note from the speaker about an upcoming collaboration and a request for viewers to follow their social media for updates.

Keywords

💡Technology

Technology refers to the tools, methods, and systems used in the manipulation of the environment to fulfill human requirements and desires. In the video, technology is not merely seen as external systems but as something intertwined with human existence. The script discusses how technology is often misunderstood as a neutral tool, yet it has profound moral implications and shapes society's trajectory.

💡Martin Heidegger

Martin Heidegger is a prominent 20th-century philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological works. His essay 'The Question Concerning Technology' is highlighted in the video as a significant critique of modernity and an exploration of technology's essence. Heidegger's perspective on technology is central to the video's theme, emphasizing a deeper understanding beyond utility.

💡Being and Time

Being and Time is Heidegger's seminal work that explores the concept of human existence and the nature of being. The video suggests that understanding this work provides a backdrop for grasping Heidegger's views on technology. It forms the philosophical foundation for his critique of technology and its impact on human existence.

💡Phenomenology

Phenomenology is a philosophical approach that studies the structures of consciousness from the first-person point of view. Heidegger is renowned for his contributions to phenomenology. The video mentions phenomenology as a lens through which Heidegger examines our experience and understanding of technology, emphasizing the importance of questioning and curiosity in human interaction with the world.

💡Existentialism

Existentialism is a philosophical theory that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice. Heidegger's work, including his essay on technology, is influenced by existentialist thought. The video connects existentialism with the critique of technology, suggesting that technology influences our understanding of being and authenticity in the modern world.

💡Essence of Technology

The 'essence of technology' is a central concept in Heidegger's essay, referring to the fundamental nature and meaning of technology beyond its physical manifestations. The video stresses the need to look beyond the utility of technology to grasp its true essence, which Heidegger argues is a way of revealing and understanding the world.

💡Revealing

In the context of Heidegger's philosophy, 'revealing' is the act of bringing something into the open, making it known or understandable. The video explains that technology is not just a means but a way of revealing truths about the world and ourselves. It is a process that shapes our perception and interaction with reality.

💡Standing Reserve

The term 'standing reserve' is used by Heidegger to describe the modern view of the world as a vast resource to be exploited. The video discusses how this perspective reduces the world and its elements, including people, to mere resources, abstracting them from their relational context and potentially leading to a loss of authenticity and humanity.

💡Poiesis

Poiesis, in Heidegger's terms, refers to the bringing-forth or revealing of truth in the world through creation or craftsmanship. The video contrasts the poiesis of pre-industrial societies, which was more in harmony with nature, with the modern, more brutal form of revealing that prioritizes utility and control over relationships and authenticity.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity, in the existentialist sense, pertains to living in accordance with one's own values and understanding of existence. The video suggests that the technological mindset threatens authenticity by reducing human relationships and experiences to mere utility, potentially leading to complacency and a loss of connection with our true nature.

💡Metaphysical

Metaphysical refers to the branch of philosophy that deals with the fundamental nature of reality. Heidegger's inquiry into technology is described as a metaphysical endeavor in the video. It emphasizes the need to understand technology's deeper, underlying nature and its implications for human existence, rather than just its practical applications.

Highlights

The speaker emphasizes that they are not against technology but seek to understand its nature.

Martin Heidegger is renowned for his work 'Being and Time', but his other works like 'The Question Concerning Technology' are also significant.

Heidegger's essay on technology is considered one of the best critiques of modernity.

Technology is not merely an external system but is intrinsically linked with human beings.

Heidegger rejects the separation of technology and humans, viewing humans as questioning beings intertwined with technology.

The essence of technology is not its physical form but its fundamental meaning and relationship with humans.

Heidegger challenges the common notion that technology is neutral, asserting it carries moral implications and societal impact.

Technology is presented as a metaphysical endeavor, influencing the trajectory of society beyond being a mere tool or human activity.

Heidegger's three essential claims about technology: it's not an instrument, it develops beyond human control, and it poses the highest danger.

Technology as a means of understanding the world is likened to a 'clearing' that reveals and exposes ideas.

The modern technological context partitions the world into a 'Standing Reserve', a resource waiting to be exploited.

Heidegger warns of the risk of losing the fundamental relationship between humans and nature due to the 'Standing Reserve' concept.

The technological mindset threatens the authenticity of our lives and relationships, reducing beings into mere resources.

Heidegger contrasts the 'poiesis' of pre-industrial societies, which worked with nature, with today's brutal and jagged approach.

Technology's role as a revelation and state of mind encapsulates the west, influencing how we view and interact with the world.

Heidegger is not anti-technology but against the attitude and obsession with resources and productivity it fosters.

The video concludes by emphasizing the need to examine our relationship with technology and its metaphysical nature, avoiding complacency.

Transcripts

Yeah, the first thing to say is

that I'm not against technology.

I've never spoken against technology,

nor would I demonize technology.

But I only try to understand the nature of technology.

When you quote this thought about the danger of the atom bomb

and the even greater danger of technology,

I'm thinking of what today is developing as biophysics,

that in the foreseeable future, we'll be able to do this with human beings,

that is, construct them in their organic nature as one needs them:

Martin Heidegger is one of the most well renowned philosophers of all time.

As he is primarily known for his work Being and Time,

there is a whole host of other work that

does not get the attention it truly deserves.

One of those underrated works is the Question Concerning Technology.

This video over the Question Concerning Technology

is a part two follow up to Being and Time.

While I want to make this video as accessible as possible

to all people who haven't really learned the theory surrounding Being and Time,

it is helpful understanding Being and Time and the backdrop he uses

in approaching the Question Concerning Technology.

So if part one and Heidegger's work Being and Time

interests you, feel free to take some time to watch that video first,

as I made Being and Time as easy as I could.

Yet, if this does not interest you, I will make this video as accessible

as humanly possible for you.

As Being and Time is one of the single most important

pieces of philosophy in the 20th century, I still find

Heidegger's essay on the Question Concerning Technology

to be one of the best works in philosophy and one of the

very best critiques of modernity that we have.

As Heidegger is really known for his phenomenology

and his existentialism, I find that this essay

really lends itself towards critical theory.

And as we see that this work is not a separation of

phenomenology or existentialism, it fundamentally

changes the makeup of how we view the modern condition

and how we view being with technology.

Our prior conceptions of technology was

one of exterior systems.

We ultimately saw technology as a mere separate entity from us.

As Heidegger rejects the separation of object and subject,

the separation of you and the world, Heidegger also

rejects the separation of technology and us.

To Heidegger, humans are questioning beings.

Within being and the fundamental care and interaction

as human beings, questioning and curiosity is woven within that framework.

This is why the fundamental meaning of technology is so important.

In a weird way, we are technology and technology is us.

So, what is technology?

And what does technology mean?

To Heidegger, to understand technology, we ultimately

need to understand the essence of technology.

When concerning technology, we don't typically think about the essence,

we think about how that technology affects us,

the utility of that specific technology at hand, and the like.

And while these questions are not bad questions,

and they are necessary to some extent.

Heidegger wants us to look directly at the essence of technology.

You may be watching this on a computer monitor,

you may be watching this on a smart phone, and

when asked about the essence of technology, you

may use a smart phone, you may use a monitor

as an example of the essence of technology.

But, an example of an actual physical form of

technology isn't actually the essence of technology.

To Heidegger, we as humans, are actually kind of blind to technology.

Heidegger quotes this as follows:

"We will never experience our relationship

to the essence of technology, so long as we

merely represent and pursue the technological."

Heidegger is trying to convey that so long as we remain

in a certain attitude towards technology, towards

its ultimate utility, its purpose, we will

never be able to truly understand technology, its essence,

and even its relation to us.

There is something else that Heidegger wants to dispel:

we have this common notion in society that technology is something neutral,

that it holds absolutely no moral baggage to it.

Heidegger rejects this outright and claims that technology

has all kinds of moral baggage to it.

Technology,

changes the entire trajectory of society as a whole.

And with that, in no possible realm could technology simply

be a means, in no realm could technology simply be a

neutral tool.

Its important to understand that Heidegger is approaching this question of technology,

as a metaphysical endeavor.

He wants to understand the fundamental essence of technology

while also not rejecting the prior notions of technology

actually being an external means and human activity.

In Heidegger's eyes, the metaphysical essence of technology

does not have to contradict the truth surrounding the means

of technology and the human activity around it.

Ultimately, he is trying to convey, that it is true that

technology is a means, and ultimately that technology

is a form of human activity.

Yet, he also wants to convey that actually doesn't get at

the essence of technology, and that both of these viewpoints

don't necessarily have to be wrong and

contradict one another.

So moving forward, there are three essential claims

Heidegger is making in the Question Concerning Technology:

One being, that technology is not a mere instrument,

its not a mere neutral tool.

It is ultimately a way of

understanding the world.

The second, is technology is not necessarily a human activity alone,

but ultimately technology develops beyond human control.

And almost beyond human comprehension.

And then the third, is technology is the actual highest danger.

It is something that we must use extreme caution towards.

Not necessarily in a physical sense,

but in a metaphysical and conceptual sense.

That we risk seeing the world only through a

technological lens.

So technology as a means of understanding the world,

lets dive into that.

To identify the essence of technology, it is to ultimately lay bear

technology as a clearing.

In Heideggerian terminology, a clearing is something that

reveals itself to us.

Like when you are in the middle of

the woods and there is a clearing to an open field,

conceptually, a clearing is a way of exposing an idea.

A good visual of this is the human metaphor of

a light-bulb going off when you understand something.

Technology operates in this way.

Technology sways our being,

our Dasein, as a way of understanding the world.

As a

way of exposing more.

Heidegger quotes this as follows:

"Technology, is therefore no mere means.

Technology is a way of revealing.

If we give heed to this, then another whole realm

for the essence of technology will open itself up to us.

It is the realm of revealing, i.e., of truth."

It can reveal things about us.

It can reveal

things of technology, that we didn't once know.

Heidegger ultimately places a lot of emphasis on revealing

meaning for us as well through the lens of technology.

So as a technological revelation, Heidegger also

focuses on how we interact with the world

our being, in a modern technological context.

In this modern technological context, the world is

partitioned away into what Heidegger calls a

Standing Reserve.

What Heidegger means by standing reserve, is that the

world is essentially one large resource, waiting to be used,

waiting to be processed.

In the present, the resource focused world is already

so ingrained into our being, that even hearing something

like the world is one large resource, waiting to be exploited,

waiting to be used, does not even seem problematic

in the slightest to many.

Yet, lets take a step back and understand the potential

benevolence of this very outlook.

With Being and Time,

understanding the unity between you, the world, the plants,

the animals.

In this standing reserve context, in this

modern outlook.

We see that we run the risk of partitioning ourselves away.

In pre-modernity, there was a fundamental relationship that

Heidegger recognized between nature and people.

That the trees were my home, that ultimately

the trees were used to create a home.

That if I needed

to light a fire, that the trees were available to me in

that relationship.

In a standing reserve, not so much.

The trees, the resources themselves, become an abstraction.

There is no relationship to you when the only concern

is how much money am I going to make from these trees?

How much money and utility is going to come from

this plot of land?

Heidegger notices when there is no relational context to

how you interact with the world.

It festers elsewhere.

If the trees, if the soil, if the water, are all resources to be used.

How about people?

Given the unity between all.

What will stop us from looking at people in the exact same context?

As an abstraction, used to make money.

Used to garner utility.

This is an ultimate danger in what technology poses to us.

And what ultimately, modernity failed to grasp.

And these are only the most visceral of examples.

Modes of communication, organization, have all been

affected from this technological mode of being.

Friendly gatherings aren't mere friendly gatherings anymore.

These inner human affairs are partitioned away into networking.

They're partitioned away into career gain.

This removes

the same notion of friendly relationships, of

authentic companionship.

And while Heidegger would certainly admit that these

relationships can still exist, but, in this technological

mode of being.This realm of human stock,

this realm of hyper-productivity, we may only view humans

and companionship as a means of utility.

How about the semantics and language structure surrounding organizations?

We see businesses, we see corporations,

completely partition people away into resources.

We see that the departments that manage these people

are actually called human resources or HR.

In this context, we see that these executives, these CEO's,

these business owners don't really see their employees as people.

They see them as actual tangible resources.

In this way,

this is how technology is not a mere neutral tool.

It is a clearing, it is a revelation of human interaction in the world.

And an ultimate arbiter of change in this regard.

By revealing beings as no more than the measurable,

the manipulative, technology ultimately reduces beings

into not-beings, as Heidegger put.

As people, as plants, as animals, are standing reserve, we

lose the very core element of what makes us beings.

That is our relationship to one another, and our

direct importance to one another.

Because, if there is more of us, if there are more trees,

more water, we have a standing reserve of more.

Therefore, we lose our sacred elements as beings.

Not only this, but, we ultimately lose concern over the actual power that nature harnesses.

As we become more technologically adept,

as we grow as a species, we almost come into play as

a war like entity against nature.

Where the ultimate technological goal is to harness nature,

the ultimate technological goal is to control it.

Pre-industrial societies did not used to look at nature like this.

We looked at nature as a way in how we can work with it.

Heidegger refers to these different modes of revealing,

of working with nature, and controlling nature, as poiesis.

The poiesis of the past, the revealing of nature of the past,

was more in line with poetry in Heidegger's eyes.

And in the poiesis of today, it is much more brutal, it is

much more jagged, and it is much less human in his eyes.

To Heidegger, the pre-industrial trades of the past reflect this.

Heidegger writes:

"If he is to become a true cabinet maker, he makes himself

answer and respond above all to the different kinds of wood,

and to the shapes slumbering within wood,

to wood as it enters into man's dwelling

with all the hidden riches of its essence.

In fact,

this relatedness to wood is what maintains the whole craft.

Without that relatedness, the craft will never be anything

but empty busywork, any occupation with it will be

determined exclusively by business concerns.

Every handicraft, all human dealings, are constantly in that danger."

Heidegger is claiming that the poiesis of today,

does not concern itself with relationships.

It's concern is productivity.

It's concern is with utility, and ultimately it's concern is with business dealings.

Therefore, that direct relationship with nature is often lost.

Again, technology offers itself up as a revelation.

As a way and means of understanding.

Rather than just a neutral tool.

Further, it offers itself up as a state of mind.

A state

of mind that has completely encapsulated the west in Heidegger's eyes.

This mindset threatens the authenticity of our lives,

it threatens our relationships, and one of

the most important points according to Heidegger

is how it makes us complacent to existential danger.

With this mindset, we could ruin ourselves.

Think about 2020, how often do we hear every other month,

about the limited amount of time left we have to fix

climate change.

In this technological mode of being, we don't really

have to worry about climate change, because whenever

climate change happens in the next 30 to 40 years,

well, guess what?

We'll have the technological capability in dealing with that.

But, Heidegger would ask the question: how would you know that?

How would you know that we would actually have

the technological capability 20-30 years later?

In a paradoxical sense, he'd point out the sheer hypocrisy

in thinking this, while also abiding by science.

We create an almost unscientific worship of science.

Heidegger points out that there is an ultimate responsibility

in how we deal with technology today.

With our central attitude towards it, and our basic utilization of it.

Further, he would argue that our lack of understanding of

the essence and metaphysical way of technology

is even more harmful.

In the end, Heidegger is not anti-science, he's not

anti-technology.

Rather, he wants to fight against the actual technological

modes of being that encapsulate the west.

In a weird way, he believes that this technological way

of being will actually kill itself in the end.

Mimicking the Marxist accelerationism of capitalism,

ironically enough, Heidegger believes that people

will understand the sacredness of pre-industrial society,

and that even with our modern technology, we

will still be able to find a way to live like we did before.

The Question Concerning Technology ultimately is a critique

of our modern ways of being, and an inquiry into the

metaphysical nature of technology.

Its again important to note that Heidegger is not

anti-technology.

Rather, he is against the sheer attitude

around technology, the hyper obsession with resources

and the hyper obsession with productivity that comes with that attitude.

As Heidegger pointed out, technology is not technological.

Technology is a mode of being and its a mode of revealing.

We should view the Question Concerning Technology as a reminder to look deeper into something.

That the metaphysical may not be dead, and that

we should not become complacent with technology.

We should not rely on the idea that technology will

solve every single existential crisis.

And further, we should examine our relationships closer,

we should not partition important things like technology

away into a neutral arbiter, or a neutral tool.

As we can potentially jeopardize everything that makes us human,

and the very meaning that encompasses our humanity.

Hey, guys!

Thank you so much for watching.

I want to give a quick message: this video probably came out

a little bit later than what I would have wanted

as I have been doing a collaboration with the

YouTuber 1Dime, over a specific political topic.

And you guys will see that when it releases.

Ultimately, I have a really important video coming up

after this, and a really important announcement and request

for you guys.

So, be on the look out for that.

Ultimately, again, thank you very much for watching this.

This video was extremely difficult to make as in

traditional Heideggarian fashion.

It was super difficult to decipher through.

But, hopefully I pulled this off, hopefully I

was able to make something really easy to digest

without watering it down.

So, ultimately guys, feel free to check out my Twitch.

This whole background is setup for Twitch, this is a subscribe board.

So, if anyone of you subscribe I will put you on this board.

I actually ran out of room on the board, which is wonderful news,

so I'm going to start putting sticky notes on the wall.

But, if you guys want to subscribe I will put you on the wall.

Also, check out my instagram, I always post clips, stuff like that,

pictures, miscellaneous stuff like that.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter as well.

So ultimately, thank you guys for watching!

Music: Kevin Macleod

All necessary resources and citations in the description!