ABSTRACT
Technology often appears to be magical in its operation and application because the development of new technologies increasingly overtakes the ability of lay persons to understand the principles of their functioning. Technology is thus, perceived as ‘magic’ in yet another sense: it is expected to change our lives for the better. The question that needs to be addressed, then, is whether this is the case. Do ‘labour-saving’ devices really ‘save’ labour or do they just create different kinds of work? The German philosopher Martin Heidegger considered this question in his essay ‘The Question Concerning Technology’. He uses the rather awkward term ‘standing-reserve’ to differentiate between technology as an ‘object’ and the ‘essence’ of technology; he is interested in the status of technology as understood in relation to human being. Motorists are encouraged to buy faster cars because access to advanced technology, represented as the ability to travel faster and further, is sold as confirmation of success and personal fulfilment.
