Devices and the good life - Sally & Sabreena

Verbeek uses the work of Borgmann to analyze technology as a shaping tool for human existence and in the definition of “the good life”. Borgmann distinguishes between 3 different approaches to technology:

a. substantivism ; autonomous power

b. instrumentalism ; neutral

c. pluralism ; many faceted

Technology diminishes our interaction with the world.

“The introduction of technology was done with the aim of liberating humanity for disease and toil, and of enriching art and athletics.” He argues that our world has come to have a more technological character because our attention is focused on what technology promises rather than social changes it has brought. Borgmann begins by analyzing the relations humans have with technological devices. Devices are entities that fulfill the technological promise of liberation and enrichment. He defines what he calls the "device paradigm”; Device paradigm: a pattern that is the dominate way in which we in the modern era have been taking up with the world.

“Availability – realized by “devices” – what a devise makes available what “commodity”.

The technological approach according to Borgmann consists in the on going replacement of the presents of things by availability of commodity delivered by devices. Technology according to Borgmann has developed into “a definite style of life”, which can be labeled as “consumption”. Consumptions deprive individuals of engagement. (Page 181) Liberal democracy and technology together shape the context in which human begins are invited to organize there existence according to the model provided by the device paradigm. Inequalities exist within social standings thus creating huge disparities in the realization between the rich and the poor.

Focal things promote what Borgmann calls “focal practices” by which he means focal things require engagement.

The social context for existence is shaped by liberal democracy, which defines “the good life” in terms of the consumption of mass manufactured products, which technology has made available in surplus.

On the bases of Ihd’s by his work a tripartite distinction can be made between types of human – artifact relations

• relations of mediation
  
• alterity relations
• background relations

Verbeek goes on to criticize Borgmann's analysis in several ways one in which Borgmann's definition of engagement shifts and from two different views to integrate into each other.Then concludes the chapter by discussing the post phenomenological perspective, which offers a rich and varied picture of technology.