The Possibility and the Necessity of the phenomenological point of view in the Philosophy of Technology

The purpose of this research is firstly to show the significance of the phenomenological point of view in the philosophy of technology in surveying the history of the philosophy of technology, and secondly to get some indications for developing the phenomenological philosophy of technology. In this research we treat with the problems of 'technology and knowledge', 'science and technology' and 'technology and society' as main problems of philosoph of technology. Normally technology is considered as application of a knowledge of a certain law or rule. But according to Kant the relationship between knowledge and technology could be regarded rather conversely, for knowledge in general is only possible on the ground of 'Kunst' (art or technics) of application of concepts to experiences. From this view point ** have discussed the possibility of the thesis that technology could be regarded as the Dasis of knowledge, and developed this thesis through the consideration of the recent discussions concerning the cognitive theories in the cognitive science. From these studies we propose the thesis that technology is to be regarded as a kind of environment of knowledge. This thesis was concretized further to the thesis that technology is the environment of science through the studies of the process of the genesis of modern science. And lastly we treat the relationship between technology and society. Through the critical consideration of the discrepancy between technological determinism and social constructionism, we propose the 'double aspect theory of technology and society', and the necessity of the hermeneutics of technology.