In this blog post, we will philosophically reflect on the nature of technology and explore its true meaning beyond that of a mere tool.
When asked, “What is technology?” many people tend to give one of two answers. One is that “technology is a means to an end,” and the other is that “technology is a human activity.” Both definitions are widely accepted and seem valid on the surface. However, these definitions do not adequately explain the essence of technology.
This is like saying that “poetry is a collection of words.” This definition is not wrong, but it fails to explain the essential characteristics of poetry, such as its unique beauty, emotion, and symbolism. Similarly, instrumental or human-centered definitions of technology fail to fully reveal its deep philosophical meaning.
So why should we explore the true nature of technology? The reason is clear. Humans exist in the world and live in relationship with it.
Technology is an important medium that defines the relationship between humans and the world. In other words, humans are connected to the world through technology, and technology is directly involved in how humans perceive and construct the world. If we define technology simply as a “tool for achieving a purpose,” we will only recognize it as a means for humans to produce results. However, this definition alone cannot explain the fundamental influence that technology has on humans and the world.
Technology does not merely function as a tool, but is a way of revealing and defining the relationship between humans and the world, that is, a way of actively participating in the formation of the world.
Technology is a way of revealing the truth that opens up the world. This is the essence of technology. In other words, technology is not merely a means of creating something, but a way of revealing the hidden world, or a way of “unveiling” (ἀλήθεια).
The ancient Greek root of the word “technology,” “technē,” did not simply mean manual skills or functional abilities. It was a concept that even included art. The common essence of production and creation lies in the act of revealing something that was hidden and bringing it to the forefront. This is not simply the creation of a product, but a process of clarifying and illuminating existence, or revealing the truth. This is the true meaning of technology: to reveal what is hidden.
This essential nature of technology is still valid when understanding modern technology. However, modern technology performs this act of revealing in a very different way than in the past. While ancient technology opened up the world in a natural and conformist manner, modern technology approaches the world in a more provocative and coercive way.
Now, modern technology seeks to forcefully extract hidden resources. It forcibly extracts energy and resources hidden in nature, transforms and stores them, and then reprocesses and redistributes them. This process is how technology constantly “demands” from nature, transforming the world into manipulable parts rather than revealing it as it is.
For example, farmers in the past had a relationship with nature in which they sowed seeds and protected them so that they could grow according to nature’s vitality.
However, modern agriculture forces grain production on the land, injects artificial nitrogen into the air, and makes excessive demands on nature. Technology that used to conform to the flow of nature, like windmills turning with the wind, has now disappeared, replaced by a huge technological system that extracts and converts energy. The essence of this modern technology goes beyond the relationship between technology and nature and affects human existence itself.
Nature loses its unique way of existence due to the provocative demands of technology and is reduced to nothing more than resources, energy, and parts. Furthermore, humans themselves function as parts within this system. Humans, who were once the subjects of technology, are now objectified, resulting in a reversal of the subject and object. At this point, we are forced to ask an important question.
“How can technology be restored to its original form of non-concealment?”
The answer lies in returning technology to its original meaning, that is, to techne. When technology is restored to its ancient state, where it was not separated from art and truth, it can once again become a force that reveals the hidden truths of the world. As techne, technology is an artistic act that goes beyond simply useful functions to reveal beauty and truth.
In its fundamental sense, art is the ultimate form of unveiling. Technology as art listens to the voices of objects and expresses them in the most appropriate form. If technology regains its original nature as techne, it will once again be able to build a harmonious bridge between humans and the world. Technology will no longer be a tool for humans to dominate and provoke the world, but a path for humans and the world to achieve harmony and reveal truth. When technology regains its artistic sensibility and philosophical thinking, we will finally be able to approach the true nature of technology. Technology is not merely a tool for efficiency and convenience. Technology is a force that opens up the world, reveals existence, and reconfigures the relationship between humans and nature. The technological world we face today is misusing that power, resulting in the objectification of humans and the destruction of nature.
However, if technology returns to its original technicist nature, it can become a beautiful passageway connecting humans, the world, and truth.
Now is the time to reexamine and reflect on technology. When we reflect on what truths technology reveals to us, we will finally gain the wisdom to live with technology.
