Coop and Taylor explore Heidegger's 'The Question Concerning Technology' and discuss his involvement with the Nazi Party. They analyze Heidegger's views on truth procedures, poetry, and technology. They also discuss the neutrality of technology and its relationship with the Butlerian Jihad in the Dune books. The hosts explore the significance of art in the Dune universe and delve into the concept of Expenditure and its connection to the sacred.
Technology is a mode of revealing truth and the essence of being.
Technology as instrumental limits our understanding of truth and hides other modes of revealing.
Art can hold the potential for accessing truth and resisting the dominating essence of technology.
Deep dives
Technology as a Mode of Revealing
Heidegger explores the essence of technology and its role in revealing truth. He argues that technology is not simply a tool but a mode of bringing forth truth and revealing the essence of being. He expresses concerns about technology becoming all-encompassing and dominating our lives, leading to a loss of access to alternative modes of truth and a reliance on instrumental optimization. Heidegger suggests that art, particularly art that goes beyond mere aesthetic appreciation, can hold the potential for accessing truth and resisting the dominating essence of technology.
The Danger of Instrumentality
Heidegger raises concerns about the danger of instrumentality in modern technology. He argues that the essence of technology is to transform everything into standing reserve, reducing beings and nature to mere resources to be exploited and optimized. This view of technology as instrumental limits our understanding of truth and hides other modes of revealing. Heidegger warns against the total domination of instrumental technology and the loss of other forms of truth and authenticity.
Revolt against Thinking Machines
Drawing on the parallel of the Butlerian Jihad in the Dune universe, the essay implies a revolt against thinking machines and the reduction of human essence. Heidegger suggests that reliance on AI and computing technology can diminish our creative impulse and disrupt the challenges and difficulties that lead to growth and self-discovery. This revolt signifies the need for critical intervention and a return to alternate ways of accessing truth, particularly through art, to resist the dominating essence of technology and preserve our humanity.
The Essence of Technology
Heidegger explores the essence of technology and emphasizes the importance of understanding its ontological nature. He argues that technology is not merely about the physical objects or examples it encompasses, but rather focuses on the way in which technology reveals truth and being. Heidegger believes that the essence of technology is a form of revealing and framing, and mastering this essence would mean mastering the manner in which truth is revealed. He acknowledges that technology is not inherently good or bad, but its essence lies in its ability to reveal and conceal.
The Piety of Thinking
Heidegger delves into the concept of the piety of thinking and its connection to the essence of technology. He suggests that the piety of thinking involves capturing a sense of the sacred within the profane, without resorting to traditional religious values. Heidegger is interested in questioning and understanding the essence of technology on an ontological level, rather than focusing solely on the technical aspects or specific examples. He explores the idea of a universal saving power that transcends the dichotomy of the sacred and the secular, and raises the importance of art as a potential medium for accessing this sacred dimension.
This week Coop and Taylor investigate Martin Heidegger's The Question Concerning Technology.
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