What Is Moralizing Technology

Technology is evolving at a rate that has never been experienced before, leading to both excitement and worrying in equal measure. However, it can be said that this pace of technological advancement is affecting societies’ ability to cope with the social and moral implications that come along with it. Furthermore, it begs the question; do these technologies have moral values built into them from the beginning? Do they influence a certain moral perspective on things? In this paper, we will summarize Dutch philosopher Peter-Paul Verbeek’s account of how technologies mediate perception and action, as well as intentionality and freedom, as he discusses in his journal article titled “Moralizing Technology: on the Morality of Technological Artifacts …show more content…
I agree with Verbeek’s account on this topic, as links can be found in current communication technology. As previously mentioned, technology is advancing at a rate that has never been experienced before. Communication, specifically, can be looked at as a social phenomenon, due its relation to human and social factors. This is because the organization of societies depends on the effective global communication between societies and cultural systems. In saying that, we can link the mediating effect of technology on humans. This is because in order to function properly, technologies must give off a certain perception to human action, and humans must interpret this perception to make it a part of their reality. The greater the relation of actions from one through the other, the more effective their interface. Verbeek’s account on the mediation of action can also be related to a different concept. By using language in the place of technology, we can see that the concept works in relation to both. When people speak, their speech serves as a means of expression. Much like Verbeek’s explanation on technology, language must be understood by those in conversation in order for an action to take place. An action, in this circumstance, can be of no material nature, or can involve a physical activity such as an exchange of money with a cashier. By seeing the similarities in technology and the use of language to mediate perception and action, we can conclude that although Verbeek’s intention in his journal article was to focus on ways in which technology mediates our lives in a number of different ways, his theory can extend beyond the realm of human relations to