Summary:
This paper explores Bernard Stiegler's philosophy of technology, in particular his critical inheritance and transcendence of the phenomenological tradition. This paper first analyzes Heidegger's theory of the essence of technology, and then expounds how Stiegler expands the philosophical nature of technology on the basis of Heidegger, and puts forward the concept of "technology-temporality", arguing that technology is not only a tool, but also the internal driving force of human existence and temporality in the world. Stiegler further criticized Husserl's intrinsic temporality, proposing a radical understanding of technology and historicity through the "third level of sustenance", thus opening up a new direction in techno-temporal philosophy.
I. Introduction
Philosophical Concerns and Phenomenological Reflections on Contemporary Technology
In today's era, the rapid development of technology has not only profoundly changed the material life of human beings, but also touched the way of thinking and existence of human beings, which has aroused deep concern in the philosophical community. Technology is no longer just a tool or a means, it has become a force that shapes and shapes modern human experience, values, and even the essence of existence. Phenomenology, as a philosophy that focuses on direct experience and the nature of existence, naturally incorporates technology into its critical and reflective vision, exploring how technology affects human perception, understanding of the world, and the way of being.
Stiegler's theoretical orientation to the problem of technology and time
Stiegler, as a representative of contemporary French philosophy, places the question of technology and time at the heart of his philosophical exploration. He not only inherited the phenomenological reflection on technology, but also went deeper into the essential relationship between technology and temporality, arguing that the development of technology not only changed the experience of time, but also shaped human understanding of time, and the temporality of technology has become a key dimension in understanding modernity.
2. Stiegler's Critical and Phenomenological Background of Technology
A. Heidegger's Collective-Rigid Theory of the Nature of Technology
The nature of technology and the philosophical interpretation of the set
In Heidegger's late philosophy, technology is given a central place as an important symbol of modernity. He understands technology as a special kind of Gestellen, that is, a specific way of unfolding existence, which involves not only the use of tools, but also a way of being, which reveals our domination and use of nature. Heidegger's interpretation of the nature of technology reveals that technology is not just the external progress of material civilization, but a fundamental transformation of the way human beings exist.
Heidegger's Temporality and the Relation of Technology
Heidegger's concept of temporality (Zeitigkeit) is at the heart of ontology, which emphasizes the temporality of being and the dynamic nature of history, in which technology is not static outside time, but the embodiment of temporality. As a manifestation of existence, technology is the embodiment of temporality, and the way it is in the world, the evolution of technology and temporality are closely linked, and together reveal the openness of the history of existence to the future.
B. Stiegler's Reception and Extension of Heidegger
The concept of the occurrence of the inner life and the temporality of technology
Stiegler inherited and deepened Heidegger's notion of In-der-Welt, but he further expanded the temporal dimension of technology. He believes that technology is not only an external tool, but also an internal process that takes place in the world, and is a direct participant in temporality. Every innovation in technology is an intrinsic occurrence in the world, affecting our perception of time and the way we exist, so that technology and temporality are inseparable.
From ontology to techno-temporal immanence
Building on Heidegger, Stiegler shifts his focus from the static nature of ontology to the temporal dynamics of technology. He argues that technology is a manifestation of what happens within ontology, a direct expression of temporality, which not only reveals existence, but also creates new possibilities in time. Stiegler's techno-temporal theory of occurrence, emphasizing the dynamic process of technology as a temporal ontology, transcends the traditional static understanding of existence and opens up a new horizon in the philosophy of technology.
3. Stiegler's critique and transcendence of Husserl's phenomenology
A. Phenomenological critique of "tertiary stagnation".
The intrinsic temporality of Husserl's theory of consciousness
Husserl's phenomenology focuses on the inner structure of consciousness, especially temporality, and he proposes the conceptual framework of "retention" (primordial retention, third retention), which describes how consciousness operates in time, maintaining the continuity of past, present, and future through these three retentions. Husserl's temporality is immanent, i.e., the direct experience of time by consciousness, emphasizing the intrinsic structure and continuity of time in the stream of consciousness.
Stiegler's Radical Critique
Stiegler takes a critical view of Husserl's temporality, arguing that this intrinsic temporality ignores the technical and historical dimensions. He pointed out that time is not only the direct experience of inner consciousness, but also a dynamic process in the techno-temporal occurrence, which is a historical product. Stiegler's critique challenges Husserl's theory of the immanence of temporal consciousness, proposing a more radical phenomenological understanding of the occurrence of temporality.
B. Postphenomenological fission
The two dogmas of canonical phenomenology break with Stiegler's
Stiegler's critique of the phenomenological tradition of Husserl and Heidegger, revealing its inherent limitations, led to a phenomenological fission. He rejected the two "dogmas" of traditional phenomenology, the static analysis of inner consciousness and ontology, and proposed a theory of the occurrence and historicity of techno-temporal dynamics, which innovatively went beyond the traditional phenomenological framework.
The Pioneering of Phenomenology and Postmodernity
Stiegler's radical phenomenology opened up a new philosophical direction, and he placed technology and temporality, history, and ontology at the center of phenomenology, constructing a phenomenology of postmodernity. Stiegler's theory not only critically transcends the phenomenological tradition, but also provides a new way of thinking for the philosophy of postmodernity, that is, how to understand existence in the flow of technology, time, and history, which provides new possibilities and challenges for the theory and practice of phenomenology of modernity.
IV. The Intrinsic Occurrence and "Vortex" of Technology-Time
A. Technological temporality and the intrinsic dynamics of the world
Techno-temporal "vortex" concept
Stiegler's concept of techno-temporal vortex symbolizes the dynamic forces generated by technology and temporality in the world, like a vortex, constantly absorbing, transforming and releasing energy, driving the inner occurrence of the world. Techno-temporality not only records time, but also generates time itself, is the cause and effect of time, and is the power source of history. The vortex symbolizes the intrinsic dynamism of technology, how it is involved in history, shaped and shaped by history.
The dynamics of the world and technology are happening
The intrinsic nature of technology and the dynamics of the world are key to Stiegler's philosophy of technology. He believes that technology is not an isolated tool, but an internal driving force for the world to happen, a part of the world. Technology occurs in temporality, interacts with the world, and constantly updates the meaning and possibilities of the world. The dynamic nature of technology is the creation and creation of the world in time, and technology is the internal driving force for the occurrence of the world.
B. The "legacy" and "wealth" of time
The Accumulation of Technological History and the "Legacy"
Stiegler's concept of technological "heritage" refers to the cumulative historical accumulation of technology, which is the product of temporal and global history. Technology is not a simple linear accumulation of progress, but a deposition of history, which contains a variety of possibilities and potentials for temporality and the world. The legacy of technology is the trace of history, the precipitation of technology-temporality in history, the accumulation of time, and the legacy in the "whirlpool" of technology.
Wealth and the potential of time in the maelstrom
In the "whirlpool" of technology - time, Stiegler saw the wealth of the "legacy". This wealth is not a material accumulation in the traditional sense, but a temporal potential, an inherent possibility of history, technology, and time, and the unfinished and futuristic nature of time. The "legacy" of technology is the wealth of time, the potential of the technological vortex, and the possibility of creating the philosophy of technology in the future. Stiegler's concept of the "whirlpool" of technological temporality, the intrinsic occurrence of technology, the legacy of time, is the wealth of the philosophy of technology, providing a new perspective for understanding technological time, a new direction for the philosophy of technology.
5. Technology and "Fluid Montage"
A. "Retrospectiveness" and the mobility of technology
Tracing the trajectory of technological development
Retroaction, in Stiegler's theoretical framework, is not only a retrospective analytical method, but also the key to understanding the dynamic trajectory of technological development. It reveals the feedback mechanism in the evolution of technology, i.e., how the current state of technology is influenced by past patterns of technology and at the same time shapes the possibilities of the future. Retrospective is not a simple linear retrospective, but an in-depth understanding of the internal logic of technology, and an understanding of how technology adjusts, corrects, and innovates in the flow of time. This process emphasizes the historical continuity and irreversibility of technology, pointing out that every innovation of technology is a reinterpretation and use of the "legacy" of the past.
A "montage" experience in flow
In the techno-temporal maelstrom, the user's experience is no longer static or isolated, but rather a "flowing montage". Montage is originally an editing technique in the art of cinema that is used to convey meaning and emotion through the combination of different images. Here, the fluidity of technology makes the user experience a series of rapidly changing, interlaced fragments, each of which carries a specific techno-temporal characteristic. This experience transcends the immediacy of individual perception and shows how technology reorganizes reality in the flow of time, creating perceptual environments that are both continuous and fractured, unified and pluralistic.
B. New Directions in the Philosophy of Time
Contemporary Issues in Techno-Time Philosophy
In the face of the rapid development of the digital age, the philosophy of technology-time needs to deal with a series of pressing issues, such as the acceleration of the pace of human life by digital technology, the blurring of the boundary between the virtual and the real, and the challenge of artificial intelligence to human subjectivity. Stiegler's theory suggests that technology is not just a tool, but also a force that shapes the perception of time and the fabric of society. Therefore, how to maintain the continuity of human values in the "montage of flow" of technology, and how to find the meaning and stability of life in the time flow accelerated by technology, have become the core of the discussion of technology-time philosophy.
Future Implications and Challenges of Stiegler's Theory
Stiegler's work has opened up new avenues for the philosophy of technology, and in particular his notion of the techno-temporal "vortex" and retrospectiveness, provides us with a new perspective on how technological change interacts with human society. However, these theories also face challenges in terms of practical application and future development. How can Stiegler's theories be translated into concrete policy guidance to help society deal with the ethical, psychological, and social problems of rapid technological change? How to achieve humanistic care and sustainable development of technology in the context of globalization and global diffusion of technology? These questions not only test the depth and breadth of theories, but also serve as important implications for future scholars and policymakers. Stiegler's theory foreshadows that only by deeply understanding the intrinsic relationship between technology and time can we find the way forward for mankind in the surging tide of technology.
VI. Conclusion
A critical development of the phenomenological tradition
Bernard Stiegler's philosophy of technological time is a profound reflection and critical extension of traditional phenomenology. He not only reveals the centrality of technology in the structure of human experience, but also points out the theoretical limitations caused by phenomenology's neglect of the technological dimension. By introducing the concept of technology-time, Stiegler expands the study of phenomenology beyond the realm of pure consciousness to a vast field that encompasses material and socio-historical structures, thereby enriching and developing the phenomenological tradition and enabling it to better respond to the complexities of contemporary technological society.
A new framework for understanding time-technology
Stiegler's techno-temporal theoretical framework provides a new perspective for understanding the dynamic relationship between technology and the human way of being. This framework emphasizes that technology is not only a tool external to people, but is embedded in the temporal structure of human existence, and jointly shapes the history and future of individuals and collectives. Through concepts such as "retrospectiveness" and "montage of flow", Stiegler shows how technology is constantly reproduced and reinterpreted over time, influencing human perception, memory, and behavior patterns, providing insight into the nature of modern technological society.
Author: Lu Xilin
Bibliography:
Technology and Time: Technology and Destiny
Time and Being: An Introduction to Phenomenology
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