This week we learned about post-phenomenology. Ihde explains the difference between post-phenomenology and phenomenology in Husserl's missing technology book: in traditional phenomenology, subjective objects and objective objects cannot be separated and exist independently, but post-phenomenology was developed based on this, subjective and objective were separated, and that there is no direct connection between them but an indirect mediator. In Husserl’s missing technology, he introduces four relationships to describe how technology as an intermediate indirect relationship (mediator) reshapes the boundaries between humans and the world.
Embodied Relations
（I-Technology) -world
In this relationship, the authors use glasses and hearing aids as examples. They can directly help humans to establish a connection with the outside world in an unprocessed way.
Hermeneutic Relations.
I-(Technology-World)
In this form, similar to current wearable devices, such as apple watch, google glasses, etc., these high-tech devices process information that should be directly felt by humans through data processing, and this information was displayed in another way. Users also receive different information because of these devices.
Alterity Relations
I-Technology-(-World)
In this relationship, the world has emerged in the form of another new form after being changed by science and technology. For example, some robot waiters, ATM machines, and supermarket self-checkout machines which are made by imitating human behaviors.
Background Relations
In this relationship, Ihde believes that humans do not directly interact with technology, but indirectly are affected by technology, such as central air conditioners, air purifiers, etc., which help improve the human environment, and humans do not directly Interact with them.
After a preliminary analysis of the four relationships, I feel a little vague about the way these four categories are classified. I feel that the author did not define these relationships in a clearer way. For instance, the first relationship, the author uses the word ‘embodyment’ to define this relationship. After comparing it with the second one, I feel that it is better to use a word like “unprocessed”.
References:
Ihde, Don. Husserl’s Missing Technologies. Fordham University Press, 2016. Crossref, doi:10.5422/fordham/9780823269600.001.0001.
Comments