Martin Heidegger's The Question Concerning Technology: An Analysis

Martin Heidegger states in his lecture on “The Question Concerning Technology” that “we, as humans, remain unfree and chained to technology, whether we passionately affirm or deny it.”(Krell 7) Technology in the modern world has changed the way humans live in unimaginable ways to that of the world in which Heidegger lived. Yet, he believed and had the intuition to deduce that technology was ever growing and would continue to change the world whether society followed closely behind or not. One of the definitions that is given by Heidegger is the idea that “technology is a means to an end.”(Krell 8) This statement is correct in many ways, as man turned to machines to change their lives, which can been seen in the development of the telephone,
By 1995, Microsoft, Windows, and Apple had established more reliable operating systems and gave way to personal computers for at home use. The evolution of the computer is potentially one of the fastest growing and changing technological advancements experienced in the history of mechanization. However, with this came a rapid demand for more convenient devices which would make day to day life easier for the average person. After the establishment of PCs and Apple computers in the vast majority of homes throughout the industrialized world, also came the smartphone. Smartphones could be dubbed as a handheld computer based on the numerous amount of functions and application embedded in them. These devices are no longer just used to communicate via telephone and one could argue that these mini computers have become an extension of the human. As Heidegger described, “technology is human activity”(Krell 8), in other words, the programs such as the internet which rose along with the computer have been integrated into human life causing people so vastly depend on these devices. This, however, has its many perks and
Advancements such as email, Facebook, and social networking sites have allowed many across the globe to connect with one another in real time, closing the gap in distance. Online shopping and even online banking have made ordinary tasks from everyday life much less of a hassle by giving people the ability of performing these tasks in the comfort of their own home. Another area in which computerization has revolutionized the world is in education. In an essay by Marshall McLuhan, he argues that traditional education is much too rigid and solely focuses on instruction and memorization, but the child of today is growing up in two worlds where education and technology are woven together.(McLuhan 14) McLuhan argues that a child should be able to teach his teacher, this is the idea of amateurism versus professionalism (McLuhan 51), where the amateur is free to explore and discover new ideas because he or she is not bound by a routine. In other words, education with technology, such as computers, which is an ever changing technology, helps children learn in untraditional ways by allowing them to explore beyond traditional