Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Technology: One or Two Philosophies of One or Two Objects?

Abstract

During most of the twentieth century, philosophy of technology has been largely interested in the effects of technology on human society and culture whereas philosophy of science has focused on the content and justification of the ideas of scientists. During the past decades, a branch of philosophy of technology has developed that, similarly to the traditional orientation of philosophy of science, looks at technology itself and addresses the content and justification of the ideas and actions of engineers. In seeming opposition to the abundant evidence for a very intimate relation between science and technology, this ‘internalist’ philosophy of technology tends to emphasize how technology differs from science. In this essay I argue, against this contrastive characterization, that as practices science and technology can hardly be distinguished and that instances of the one rarely or ever occur without instances of the latter, and can hardly occur otherwise. This puts into question the rationale for maintaining philosophy of science and philosophy of technology as separate philosophical disciplines. Science and technology could perhaps be characterized ideal-typically as distinct activities, with science corresponding to the exercise of theoretical rationality and technology to the exercise of practical rationality. Even analysed in this ideal-typical way, however, science and technology can still be shown to share problems and partly overlap. It is questionable, therefore, whether the current separation of philosophy of science and philosophy of technology, grounded in conceptions of technology and science as contrastive, should be upheld.