Abstract
Between Reason and Experience collects nine essays written over the past 20 years by Andrew Feenberg, philosopher of technology. Feenberg has pursued a critical theory of technology throughout that period and published the results in various books. The current volume contains applications of the critical theory of technology to a variety of topics, including democratic theory, the environmental movement, dystopian literature, the French Teletel system, and Japanese modernization in the early twentieth century.
Readers unfamiliar with Feenberg’s work on the philosophy of technology are advised to seek out his earlier volumes that explore the theory in greater depth. One essay in the current volume gives a brief introduction to Feenberg’s overall project by discussing the constant drive to efficiency and apparent autonomy of technologies. Feenberg rejects the autonomous view of technology and argues that every technology has a specific history and social context that leads to its mode of use and employment. The purpose of studying technology is to elaborate the contextual situation surrounding our machines. Once we understand the context we can craft an appropriate response.
The book is divided into three sections. The first section applies these ideas to more abstract concepts such as democratic theory, the environment, and dystopian literature. In this section Feenberg argues solidly for a democracy that engages with technology instead of rejecting it. His final message is that we may not be able to escape from technology, but we should be able to control it.
The second section applies the same ideas to concrete examples such as the French Teletel system and Japanese modernization. These essays contextualize Feenberg’s ideas and demonstrate some of the methods through which we can interrogate technology and the contexts in which it occurs.
The final section of three essays connects Feenberg’s work to a number of antecedents, including Heidegger, Marcuse, and Marx. Feenberg also makes connections with critics of modernization such as Habermas. This section will be the strongest for those who are seeking to understand the origins of Feenberg’s philosophy.
Feenberg writes clearly, organizes his arguments well, and provides a good demonstration of how the critical theory of technology can be applied. I recommend the book to anyone who is interested in the intersection of science and technology studies with contemporary philosophy.