Peter Paul Verbeek and a Postphenomenological Mirror

摘要

Moralizing Technology is Peter-Paul Verbeek's second major original book in the philosophy of technology. Verbeek, already a full professor (b. 1970) at Twente University, widely visible in both Europe and North America, is a major contender in this field. Verbeek's signature is also one which identifies him with postphenomenological analysis. His dissertation, later to be revised and expanded as What Things Do (2005), his chapter in Hans Achterhuis's American Philosophy of Technology: The Empirical Turn (2001), had already dealt with postphenomenology, often including my formulation thereof. It is for that reason that I have titled this response with a mirror metaphor-our visions of postphenomenology mostly converge, and this poses a problem for my analysis. First, it is hard for me to "get distance" on his position which is so close to my own. Second, a temptation to turn to a "nitty-gritty" analysis which concentrates upon where do we differ must also be resisted as this trivializes what would be important. Third, and worst of all, to end up simply praising Peter Paul for his conclusions where they are close to mine, becomes an indirect form of self-flattery.