Technology as a Way of Revealing

The Essence of Technology

The Greek concept of the essence of technology was investigated by Martin
Heidegger. The meaning of technology for the Greeks was assumed to be part of our
everyday life. To clarify further, the term technology was defined into two categories.

1. Technology is a means to an end.

2. Technology is a human activity.

The first definition treated technology as an instrument to achieve a purpose or

end. For example, student A bought a laptop and smartphone to be used for online
learning since students were not allowed to attend a face to face learning. The laptops
and smartphones are instruments for the student toachieve his/her purpose which is to
participate in online learning.

The second definition pointed out that technology is part of our daily activities
of the human person which is to invent technology such as gadgets for online learning,
protective equipment to fight COVID-19, agricultural machines to produce foods and
etc.

The two definitions of technology are interconnected with each other in such a
way that the outcomes of human activities are meant to serve its purpose. However,
this definition of technology became problematic when technology does not serve its
purpose (essence). For example, imagine that COVID-19 willdie naturally. You might
think that those PPEs and gadgets for learning are meaningless because the purpose is
not being served. The revival of face to face learning will make a gadget for online
learning less significant in the traditional classroom.

The Problems on Modern Technology

The Greek definition of technology as human activity and designed for a specific
purpose was restructured in modern times. Technology in the modern era was reduced
into calculative thinking that controls nature. For instance, the invention of the
telescope, the steam machine, and other devices was used to master nature. In the
mastery of nature, we used technology to manipulate things around us. To see a clear
picture, Heidegger provided three revelations on modern technology as challenging
forth, enframing and dangerous;
Modern Technology as Challenging Forth

Heidegger claimed that ancient and modern technology are revealing. However,
modern technology is revealing not in the sense of bringing forth but rather challenging
nature. Modern technology challenging nature through extracting, transforming, storing,
and distributing it. Challenging forth reduced nature as standing 'reserve' or something
to be disposed of by the people. For examples, people exploited the natural resources
without minding the negative effects to the ecology, modernization of extracting gold,
coal, and petroleum from the ground compromised the bodies of waters, using of
synthetic dyes and artificial flavoring jeopardize human health, and the use of chemicals
in the agriculture poses threat to food safety and health security

Effects of Modern Technology

Modern Tecnology as Enframing

According to Martin Heidegger, modern technology is enframing. The term

'enframing' derives from the word 'frame' which means putting something into a box.
This metaphorical term of Heidegger connotes that modern technology put nature into a
box through scientific knowledge. Enframing, according to Heidegger, is akin to two
ways of looking at the world; calculative thinking and meditative thinking. Humans put
an order to nature and control it through calculative thinking.

The Dangers of Technology

Heidegger at this point is critical to the dangers of modern technology by pointing
out its defects as enframing nature, challenging forth, treat nature as a standing
reserve. In this case, modern technology deviated from the essential notion of
technology and revealing or poiesis. Heidegger sees this as a danger to humanity.

Recognizing its dangers of technology requires critical and reflective thinking on its
use. For example, social media has indeed connected people in the most efficient and
convenient way but it is prone to abuse such as the invasion of privacy, online dis-
inhibition, and proliferation of fake news.

The real threat of technology comes from its essence, not its activities or products.
The correct response to the danger of technology is not simply dismissing technology
altogether. Heidegger explained that people are delivered over to technology in the
worst possible way when they regard it as something neutral (Heidegg
Art as a Saving Power and Questioning
Thought
Art and Questioning Thought

Common experience tells us that in times of crisis or pandemic, human creativity is

revealing. We always hear or watch in the television about the new heroes like the
medical practitioners in the front line who took the risk in saving the lives of those
infected patients and preventing the spread of COVID-19, Intera-Agency Task Force
(IATF) was tasked to create a social system and enforce it like "bawal lumabas", stay
home and wait for (ayuda) dole out. The churches, organizations, and individuals were
also creative in fighting COVID-19 through their own means. It is indeed true that crisis
compels us to become creative or artistic in order to survive. This is the reason why
Heidegger who experienced the horror of world war two is telling us how art can save us
from a misconception of technology and how to renew our relation with it.
What is art?

Art is a techne that shows, unconceals, or reveals the truth. Art was considered
as a saving power and an alternative exit from technological enframing. Art as techne is
an act of the mind that helps us to think based on meditative thinking. Through art, we
can establish new relationships with technology and nature. As Heidegger puts it;
"because the essence of technology is nothing technological, essential reflection upon
technology and decisive confrontation with it must happen in a realm that is, on the
hand, akin to the essence of technology and, on the other, fundamentally different from
it. Such a realm is art. But certainly only if reflection on art, for its part, does not shut its
eyes to the constellation of truth after which we are questioning". Heidegger, Martin, The
Question of Technology, (1977, p. 19)
Questioning as the Piety of Thought

In practice, we human beings have a lot of questions in life especially when we

are in a time of crisis or pandemic. Many questions surfaced in our minds when we
pause, relax, and engage ourselves in questioning things around us. Heidegger
encourages us to practice critical thinking when it comes to technology. We need to
reassess our concept of technology particularly on its positive and negative impact to
nature in order to rebuild our new relation . Heidegger ended his essay with these
statements; "the closer we come to the danger, the more brightly do the ways into the
saving power begin to shine and the more questioning we become. For questioning is
the piety of thought. (1977, p. 19)

Summary
To sum up the discussion on technology as a way of revealing, you learn
from this topic the Martin Heidegger clarified the concept of technology from the ancient,
modern, and contemporary period. In the ancient period, technology was viewed from
its essence while modernity shaped technology as enframing that posted a danger to
nature. The problem with the essential notion of technology and technological enframing
was far from the ideal concept of technology based on revealing which Heidegger
retrieved from the ancient concept of poiesis. Technology as a way of revealing
provided us a new perspective on how we relate with technology from art and
questioning thought.