Philosophy of Technology matters in HCI because the things we design are never just tools. Digital artifacts shape how people perceive, make decisions, and relate. They invite some actions and close off others. They carry values and make certain forms of life easier or harder. This seminar gives you clear language and compact ideas to make that shaping visible and actionable. We read short texts that treat technology as relations rather than as isolated objects. You will meet affordances with Gibson, situated action with Suchman, situated objectivity with Haraway, human technology relations with Ihde, sociomaterial complexity with Law, performativity and intra action with Barad, disciplined design reasoning with Dourish, ethical mediation with Verbeek, public space cases with Rosenberger, and relational ethics for AI and robotics with Coeckelbergh. The aim is practical. You will leave with sharper critiques, stronger design arguments, and a more responsible way to reason about what your interfaces and systems do in the world.
Your task in the course is focused and straightforward. Each student takes responsibility for one text in the semester. You prepare a clear 8- to 10-minute overview of the main claim, two or three key concepts, and why it matters for HCI. You bring two or three focused prompts and one concrete example that anchors the discussion. You then lead a brief conversation with us as a group, connecting the text to design, research, or ethical choices (in collaboration with the others). Assessment rewards accuracy in presenting the text, clarity, and the strength of the bridge you build from concept to critique to design implication.
A brief note. These texts are not always easy. Most of us are not trained philosophers. That is fine. We will read slowly and ask simple questions. We will paraphrase in our own words. We will connect ideas to concrete examples from HCI. We will map key terms together. We will help each other. The goal is not to memorize jargon. The goal is to understand the arguments and use them in our work. If a passage is confusing, bring it. If a concept feels abstract, we will ground ´it in a case. We will learn by doing and by talking together.
- Dozent/in: Matthias Laschke