Philosophy in Technology

Philosophy in Technology - Different Perspectives

Invitation for 5th Edition of the Conference

Welcome back - for the fourth time!!

The latest technological developments highlight technology’s strong dependence on philosophy, although few people today are surprised that technology is an important subject for philosophy. Nevertheless, limited reflection is devoted to understanding the role that philosophy plays in technology and engineering, something we call “philosophy in technology.”

We therefore invite contributions to the fourth conference on Philosophy in Technology (PinT) on 10th-11th of April 2025. On 10th of April conference will be held in hybrid mode - both live at Wrocław University of Science and Technology and online, and on 11th of April - online only.

With stunning technological developments, both their developers and users rarely pay attention to the philosophical entanglements. These generally only become clear in the context of problematic situations when a new technology leads to technical consequences that are difficult to accept or when research programs in technical sciences enter a crisis period. In recent years, the degradation of democratic societies under the influence of social media is often cited within the former context, while the current criticisms of the philosophical assumptions of AI programs fall within the second context. However, the presence, albeit often obscured, of philosophy in technology and engineering is much richer with a considerably longer history. Moreover, there is an additional and equally compelling field of inquiry: the diverse possibilities and modes of philosophical practice in the context of emerging technologies.

Given the perils resulting from the rapid development of technology, reflections on philosophy in technology play an existentially important role. By understanding what we expect from technical solutions and realizing how this may differ from the actual philosophical assumptions used in the creation and operation of technical systems, we can rationally face the potential threats. This also opens the door to humanizing technology and developing a more rational attitude toward it. This also opens the door to the humanisation of technology and the development of a more rational approach to it. This also applies to the impact of technology on society, both in its global dimension and in its more local applications, such as spatial planning, urban planning, or its connection with various aspects of life in an agglomeration, as well as its impact on the lives of individuals in almost every aspect.

At this fourth conference of annual Philosophy in Technology events, we want to reflect further on the presence of philosophy in technology and engineering, this time specially in the context of AI. We are therefore seeking studies of the salient philosophical dimensions, or underpinnings, of technology and discussions of how philosophical insights may shed new light on what technology does or fails to do. Case studies and analyses of the interdependence between philosophy and technology are welcome. Indeed, all aspects of philosophy’s influence on technology are of interest, both for the latest technologies and more classical areas.

Proposals for presentations should be max 500-600 words (with references) submitted in the PDF format. Together with the presentation proposal please send a short CV (200 words) and should be sent to [philosophyintechnology[at]gmail.com].  

The deadline for submitting proposals is March 27, 2024.  

The acceptance of proposals and presentations will be announced by April 9.

This workshop is being organized by Wrocław University of Science and Technology; the Pontifical University of John Paul II, the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (Commission on the Philosophy of Science) and DSW University of Lower Silesia.

Organizing committee:

Dr. Łukasz Mścisławski (Wrocław University of Science and Technology),

Dr. Teresa Marcinów (Wrocław University of Science and Technology),

Dr. Roman Krzanowski (Pontifical University of John Paul II),

Prof. Paweł Polak (Pontifical University of John Paul II)

Contact:

[philosophyintechnology[at]gmail.com]