the question concerning technology

die frage nach der technik is an essay in phenomenologyphenomenology
Phenomenology (Greek for the study of appearances of things) is a discipline in philosophy that looks at consciousness as experienced. The key thinkers are Husserl, heidegger, Merleau-P...
by heideggerheidegger
martin heidegger (1889-1976) was a philosopher from germany who did work in phenomenology and being. his major work is sein und zeit. he began in a seminary, but then became a student of ...
about technologytechnology
technology is an organism's response to chaos sive natura in the form of a problem as a "low-resistance path to an end."1

in the question concerning technology, heidegger asks what...
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heidegger starts by saying that the essence of technology is not something technological. The usual definition of technology is one of instrumentation (a human activity as well as a means to an end). Since we're talking about means and ends, causality is already in play. In technology, we think of efficient causes and not final causes (or material or formal causes). But remember, Aristotle's causes aren't really causes but explanations.

Cause Responsibility
Material Matter (Hyle)
Form Aspect (Eidos)
Final Telos
Efficient Logos (?)

These are modes of occasioning, in bringing-forth. Every bringing-forth is grounded in revealing.

Technology is a way of revealing, namely the setting-upon that challenges. Things are ordered into standing-reserve (Bestand).

Example. An airliner on a runway is an object. If we reveal it, it is standing-reserve for transportation.

It is man who accomplishes the challenging setting-upon through which what we call the actual is revealed as standing-reserve.

Enframing (Gestell) is the challenging claim that gathers man with a view to ordering the self-revealing as standing-reserve. The essence of modern technology is in enframing.