ABSTRACT
Heidegger’s discussion of the way that tools and technology enter into experience has had a profound impact on the philosophy of technology. In this chapter, we look at the implications for design that follow from his account. We interrogate Heidegger’s criticism of modern technology, which he argues ‘enframes’ us and cuts us off from a more authentic and nourishing relationship with ‘Being’. We find that while Heidegger described modern technology as a danger, he also recognised it as an opportunity for a different kind of human future. Heidegger’s analysis of how technologies can shape our world and our understanding of it is relevant to understanding not only how we use everyday craft tools like hammers, but also to understanding the educational potential of networked digital technologies like global social media and Generative AI.
