The Definition and Scope of Technology
What exactly is “technology”? While we often think of silicon chips and steam engines, the philosophical definition of technology has expanded significantly over the centuries, moving from “applied science” to a fundamental mode of human existence.
Jacob Bigelow: The Codification of Technology
The word “technology” as we use it today was essentially coined in the English language by Jacob Bigelow. In his 1831 book, Elements of Technology, he defined it as the “principles, processes, and nomenclatures of the more conspicuous arts, particularly those which involve applications of science.”
For Bigelow, technology was the systematic study of the “useful arts.” It represented the bridge between abstract scientific knowledge and practical human labor.
Lewis Mumford: The Megamachine
Lewis Mumford provided a much broader definition. He argued that technology is not just hardware (tools and machines), but also the organizational structures that coordinate human effort.
Mumford conceptualized the “Megamachine”: the first machine was not made of metal, but of people. For example, the construction of the Egyptian pyramids required a rigid, hierarchical organization of thousands of laborers. This social machine treated human beings as interchangeable components, operating with the precision and predictability of a mechanical clock.
Technology as Practice
This expansion of the definition suggests that technology is a “human way of doing.” It involves:
- Technique: The specific skills and steps to achieve an end.
- Organization: The social arrangement required to deploy those techniques.
- Apparatus: The physical tools used in the process.
When we study the philosophy of technology, we are not just studying gadgets; we are studying the systems that shape how we work, live, and interact with the physical world.