Ernst Kapp

Starting from a critical evalutaion of the current mainstream in the philosophy of technology, this paper aims to outilne a historical and theoretical overview of the technology as philosophical question.
The outocme of this overview is a taxonomy of the different ideas of a "philosophy of technology", that represents the basis for a brand new approach to this topic. It is a philosophical anthropology of technology, namely a Philosophy of Technology in the Nominative Case (filosofia della tecnica al nominativo - TECNOM), grounded in turn on the twin concepts of neonvironmentality (neoambientalità) and feralization of human being (ferinizzazione dell'essere umano).

Syllabus of a course for graduate students of 60 hours (namely 20 3-hours lessons).

Starting from the complex historical-theoretical evolution of the topic “technology” (i.e. from the idea of techné in the ancient Greek to modern and contemporary idea of Machbarkeit/makeability), the course aims to  highlight the importance of  such a topic as philosophical question.
Martin Heidegger’s interpretation of technology will emerge as the fundamental point of reference for the idea itself of a philosophy of technology. At the same time the course will deal with the problem of Heidegger’s legacy, that is the current options and future possibilities for the philosophy of technology.
The course aims to provide the students with the basic conceptual tools in order to deal with the topic “technology” as crucial “hub” of the philosophical thought (especially with reference to its modern and contemporary stages). For this purpose a particular attention will be given to the direct confrontation with the “classics”, chosen as reference literature.

Dissertação de mestrado para ciências da comunicação, vertente cultura contemporânea e novas tecnologias. Tenta-se através de um objecto de estudo (a utopia tecnológica Projecto Vénus), desenvolver o conceito de reprodutibilidade técnica de Walter Benjamin, adaptado ao corpo humano. O que implica um corpo transformado em informação que não a sua reprodução massiva através da tecnologia? Que implicações este fenómeno comporta? Impõe-se perceber através das ciências sociais o papel da ciência e da tecnologia e de que forma o "objecto" inserido no corpo progressivamente acentua a substituição do biológico pelo sintético. Classificação final obtida na defesa de tese foi de 18 valores.

My paper focuses on two topics emerging from the third chapter of Carmine Di Martino's Viventi umani e non umani. Tecnica, linguaggio e memoria. The first topic deals with the possibility of a (re)encouter between philosophical anthropology (Paul Alsberg) and philosophy of technology (Ernst Kapp) at their beginning. Such a (re)encounter is conceived of as a countermovement with regard to the current 'ontic drift' within these two disciplines. The second topic has to do with the meaning and the function of the culture/technology in a philosophical-anthropological perspective. Between the two alternatives represented by André Leroi-Gourhan and Arnold Gehlen, my paper highlights Gehlen's institutional approach, that is the idea of the institutions as a balance against the potential risk of a 'cultural Überentlastung' (over-relief).

Wie etwa Affen oder Raben gebrauchen und entwickeln Menschen Werkzeuge. Das menschliche Denken, Handeln und Fühlen wirken durch den Gebrauch von Artefakten. Wenn Menschen sich zusammenschliessen, um solche Artefakten zu entwickeln, entstehen Maschinen, die viel komplexer sind, als es ein einzelner Mensch alleine nachvollziehen oder konstruieren könnte. So setzten diese menschengemachten Dinge die Menschen selbst unter Anpassungsdruck: Die Einzelnen müssen ihr Leben nach den Anforderungen der Artefakte ändern. Die Geschichte der Menschen und die Geschichte der von ihnen entwickelten Dinge verflechten sich. Die Artefakte werden aktiv und die Menschen artifiziell. Die Arbeiter am Fliessband werden mehr und mehr durch Roboter ersetzt, Soldaten auf dem Schlachtfeld durch Drohnen; durch Klamotten, Kosmetik und chirurgische Techniken performieren Menschen ihr Geschlecht; die Algorithmen von Facebook, Instagram, Twitter und Tinder gestalten alltägliche Interaktionen mit, ersetzen somit Artefakten des öffentlichen Raumes wie Cafés oder Kirchen und vielleicht sogar die des privaten Raumes wie das Wohn-oder Schlafzimmer; in Gestalt des Smartphones tragen die Menschen nunmehr die Stadtbibliothek in ihrer Tasche, und zwar in einer Weise, die nur noch schwer vom Leib des Einzelnen zu trennen ist. Die Technikphilosophie ist vor etwa eineinhalb Jahrhunderten als geistige Reaktion auf diese Geschichte entstanden. Der Ermittlung der Geschichte dieser jungen philosophischen Disziplin gilt dieses Seminar.

This paper discusses Carmine Di Martino's last work Viventi umani e non umani. Tecnica, linguaggio e memoria (Edizioni Libreria Cortina, Milano 2017, pp. 204). The book deals with two main questions, i.e. the anthropogenesis and the comparison between human and non-human living beings (notably, anthropomorphic apes), with reference to three topics: technology, language and memory. In particular, these pages highlight the phenomenological bon sens that the author chooses to approach the vexed question regarding the relation between " the two cultures ". That is to say, besides encouraging an authentic (i.e. radical and equal) dialogue between philosophy and sciences, he vindicates the epistemological peculiarity and the consequent irreplaceable role of the philosophical thought.

The UK January 1910 general election was fought against a background unique in British history. A constitutional crisis had been caused by the House of Lords' rejection of the Budget, with the threat of the creation of many new Liberal peers to ensure its passage if it should be rejected a second time in the event of a Liberal victory at the polls. In addition, the Government was fighting to retain its position after the landslide victory of 1906. The size of the 1906 Liberal victory meant that a swing to the Unionist opposition was almost inevitable in 1910, meaning that any gains by the Liberals would be likely to be the result of local factors. Darlington in the North of England's County Durham was one of the seats which the Unionist had held in 1906 (albeit against a Labour Party candidate with Liberal support) but it is unlikely they could have foreseen their candidate's defeat. At first sight the Unionist candidate had all the advantages on his side. He was a member of the Pease family which had given the town its MPs since 1885. The family had supplied many MPs for surrounding constituencies, and had been involved in the development of much of the North East's industry, starting with the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825. The Pease family was based in Darlington and many in the town were either directly employed by them or owed their jobs to the industries the family had brought to the town. This is the background I. T. T Lincoln found when he arrived in Darlington as the Prospective Liberal Candidate. A most unlikely candidate who within nine months was the town's MP. Lincoln was a Hungarian Jew, still a national of that country when adopted as the candidate, with a past including such diverse occupations as journalism, religious preaching and evangelizing, and social researcher, and he was still only 30 years old. This dissertation provides an explanation of how Lincoln could defeat a sitting MP who seemed to have all the advantages on his side, including belonging to a party which made sweeping gains at that election. Chapter 1 summarizes Lincoln's life. Chapter 2 deals with the Pease family and its influence on Darlington's economic, social and political life. Chapter 3 deals with the election campaign, the result, and reactions to it. The concluding chapter tries to explain Lincoln's surprising victory.

The UK January 1910 general election was fought against a background unique in British history. A constitutional crisis had been caused by the House of Lords' rejection of the Budget, with the threat of the creation of many new Liberal peers to ensure its passage if it should be rejected a second time in the event of a Liberal victory at the polls. In addition, the Government was fighting to retain its position after the landslide victory of 1906. The size of the 1906 Liberal victory meant that a swing to the Unionist opposition was almost inevitable in 1910, meaning that any gains by the Liberals would be likely to be the result of local factors. Darlington in the North of England's County Durham was one of the seats which the Unionist had held in 1906 (albeit against a Labour Party candidate with Liberal support) but it is unlikely they could have foreseen their candidate's defeat. At first sight the Unionist candidate had all the advantages on his side. He was a member of the Pease family which had given the town its MPs since 1885. The family had supplied many MPs for surrounding constituencies, and had been involved in the development of much of the North East's industry, starting with the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825. The Pease family was based in Darlington and many in the town were either directly employed by them or owed their jobs to the industries the family had brought to the town. This is the background I. T. T Lincoln found when he arrived in Darlington as the Prospective Liberal Candidate. A most unlikely candidate who within nine months was the town's MP. Lincoln was a Hungarian Jew, still a national of that country when adopted as the candidate, with a past including such diverse occupations as journalism, religious preaching and evangelizing, and social researcher, and he was still only 30 years old. This dissertation provides an explanation of how Lincoln could defeat a sitting MP who seemed to have all the advantages on his side, including belonging to a party which made sweeping gains at that election. Chapter 1 summarizes Lincoln's life. Chapter 2 deals with the Pease family and its influence on Darlington's economic, social and political life. Chapter 3 deals with the election campaign, the result, and reactions to it. The concluding chapter tries to explain Lincoln's surprising victory.

La praxis en el desarrollo de la Interfa/s/c/ze

El siguiente texto tiene por objetivo ampliar el concepto de interfa/s/c/ze, observándolo desde una perspectiva pragmática y epistemológica en función del gestual humano y su permanente resignificación a través de los objetos.