Exploring Human Nature in a Technology-Driven Society

Major philosophical works have presented discussions of human nature and interdisciplinary programs have set out to address the interrelation of technology and social factors. Still, only few works have tried to present a bird’s-eye perspective on current debates, combining original philosophical positions with relevant technological developments and scientific paradigms. Based on an interdisciplinary definition of human nature, this paper explores three dimensions to better understand and categorize views of human nature and technology: first, the natural constitution of human beings; second, the position of human beings within their environment; and third, human values. It discusses how different accounts of human nature result in different views of the role of technology by reviewing perspectives of the human body and technological enhancement as well as accounts of the human as an isolated individual or social being. Human values are presented along five dimensions, covering individual, social, environmental, technical, and economic aspects, which play unique roles in the human-technology relation. While this paper can only offer a preliminary analysis of positions and arguments, it concludes with challenges of a dualist view of the human and technology and motivates further investigations of the human-technology relation. A better understanding of implicit beliefs regarding humans and technology can inform research and practice in the fields of technology ethics, design, and engineering and can open up space for a positive reconceptualization both of what it means to be human and the role of technology.