Dr Joseph Martin joseph.d.martin@durham.ac.uk
Associate Professor
Evaluating Hidden Costs of Technological Change: Scaffolding, Agency, and Entrenchment
Martin, Joseph D.
Authors
Abstract
This paper explores the process by which new technologies supplant or constrain cultural scaffolding processes and the consequences thereof. As elaborated by Wimsatt and Griesemer, cultural scaffolds support the acquisition of new capabilities by individuals or organizations. When technologies displace scaffolds, those who previously acquired capabilities from them come to rely upon the new technologies to complete tasks they could once accomplish on their own. Therefore, the would-be beneficiaries of those scaffolds are deprived of the agency to exercise the capabilities the scaffolds supported. Evaluating how technologies displace cultural scaffolds can ground philosophical assessments of the cultural value of technologies.
Citation
Martin, J. D. (2015). Evaluating Hidden Costs of Technological Change: Scaffolding, Agency, and Entrenchment. Society for Philosophy & Technology quarterly electronic journal, 19(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.5840/techne201522325
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Date | Jan 1, 2015 |
Deposit Date | Sep 18, 2019 |
Publicly Available Date | Mar 28, 2024 |
Journal | Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology |
Publisher | Philosophy Documentation Center |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 19 |
Issue | 1 |
Pages | 1-25 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.5840/techne201522325 |
Files
Accepted Journal Article
(241 Kb)
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