Heideigger and Technology

Heidegger said that "modern technology is a means to an end" and that "modern technology is something incomparably different from all earlier technologies because it is based on modern physics as an exact science." What I think this means is that everything that we do is dependent on how well we can manipulate that technology for our own uses. Heidegger also says that this technology is something that "we will master." I find this statement true because I think that we are constantly trying to make technology better than the previous versions.

With the ipod, for example, they keep on trying to be more innovative with each new version. At first you had the large 10 GB and 20 GB versions that played only music files. Then soon they came out with the photo iPods. Then they have increased the GB capacities to 80 GB and have made Nano iPods and sleeker slimmer iPods. Now we have iPods that play video files and even Nano video iPods. It seems that they are constantly pushing the limits of technology.

With previous technologies they were based on the science and physics - which I think is that they were based on the current physics that were available. For example, you would ony be able to invent something like a jet airplane with today's knowledge of physics and science but could not do that before World War II as the physical science available wasn't innovative enough.