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The Shock of the Old: David Edgerton and the Hidden Life of Old Tech
Manage episode 487753322 series 3486512
On this episode I take a fresh look at how we think about technology by exploring David Edgerton’s old but updated book The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History since 1900. Rather than celebrating the latest inventions as revolutionary breakthroughs, Edgerton argues that we should pay closer attention to the technologies that persist - those that are used, maintained, repaired andadapted over time. I reflect on the difference between invention and use, the purpose of repair, and how technologies often remain central to daily life long after they’re considered outdated, and this persistence tells us about their real impact. Also, we pose some questions for Martin Heidegger's theory of technology too.
To get a sense of Edgerton's work you can visit his website here, or you can listen to an interview with him here on the Zukunft Denken Podcast which should give you a good summary of his central preoccupations. It was this article from the Manchester Mill that got me thinking about all this.
If you would like to study with me you can find more information about our online education MAs in Philosophy here at Staffordshire University. You can find out more information on our MA in Continental Philosophy via this link. Or, join our MA in Philosophy of Nature, Information and Technology via this link. Find out more about me here. September intakes F/T or January intakes P/T. You can listen to more free back content from the Thales' Well podcast on TuneIn Radio, Player Fm, Stitcher and Pod Bean. You can also download their apps to your smart phone and listen via there. You can also subscribe for free on iTunes. Please leave a nice review.
23 episodes
Manage episode 487753322 series 3486512
On this episode I take a fresh look at how we think about technology by exploring David Edgerton’s old but updated book The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History since 1900. Rather than celebrating the latest inventions as revolutionary breakthroughs, Edgerton argues that we should pay closer attention to the technologies that persist - those that are used, maintained, repaired andadapted over time. I reflect on the difference between invention and use, the purpose of repair, and how technologies often remain central to daily life long after they’re considered outdated, and this persistence tells us about their real impact. Also, we pose some questions for Martin Heidegger's theory of technology too.
To get a sense of Edgerton's work you can visit his website here, or you can listen to an interview with him here on the Zukunft Denken Podcast which should give you a good summary of his central preoccupations. It was this article from the Manchester Mill that got me thinking about all this.
If you would like to study with me you can find more information about our online education MAs in Philosophy here at Staffordshire University. You can find out more information on our MA in Continental Philosophy via this link. Or, join our MA in Philosophy of Nature, Information and Technology via this link. Find out more about me here. September intakes F/T or January intakes P/T. You can listen to more free back content from the Thales' Well podcast on TuneIn Radio, Player Fm, Stitcher and Pod Bean. You can also download their apps to your smart phone and listen via there. You can also subscribe for free on iTunes. Please leave a nice review.
23 episodes
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