Central and East European
Society for Phenomenology

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Facts or fiction?

a critique on vision assessment as a tool for technology assessment

Nicole C. Karafyllis

pp. 93-117

Abstract

This essay questions the concept of vision assessment as an appropriate tool for technology assessment on methodological, anthropological and ethical levels, and shows its epistemic neighbourhood to the scenario-techniques. In general, the central idea of a "future technology" is critically analyzed, backed with central examples drawn from nanotechnology, human doping techniques, and social neuroscience. Main concepts that are used for critique are (a) feasibility and desirability, (b) discourse and debate, and (c) vision and utopia. In addition, the essay reflects on the new genre of pop science, a mixture of science and popular writing on which the concept of vision assessment heavily depends.

Publication details

Published in:

Sollie Paul, Düwell Marcus (2009) Evaluating new technologies: methodological problems for the ethical assessment of technology developments.. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 93-117

DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-2229-5_8

Full citation:

Karafyllis Nicole C. (2009) „Facts or fiction?: a critique on vision assessment as a tool for technology assessment“, In: P. Sollie & M. Düwell (eds.), Evaluating new technologies, Dordrecht, Springer, 93–117.