The Gods and Technology: A Reading of Heidegger

Contents

Contents Preface vii Introduction 1 Part I. Ancient Technology 15 The four causes as obligations, as making ready the ground 15  The so-called efficient cause in Aristotle 19  Abetting causality as a reading of Heidegger 29  Letting, active letting, letting all the way to the end 32  Producing, bringing-forth, nature 35  Manufacture and contemplation 40  Bringing-forth as disconcealment 47  Disclosive looking 54  Technology and truth 55  The Greek concept of techne 57  Ancient technological practice as poiesis 65 Part II. Modern Technology 67 Ancient versus modern technology 67  Modern technology as a challenging: the gear and the capacitor 71  Modern technology as an imposition 75  Modern technology as a ravishment 78  Modern technology as a disposing 80  “Disposables” 83  Ge-stell, the “allencompassing imposition” 90  The essence of modern technology as nothing technological 107  Science as harbinger 111  Science as mediator 118  Causality; modern physics 119  The novelty of modern technology 124 v Part III. The Danger in Modern Technology 127 Asking about and asking for 127  Sent destiny, history, chronology 129  Freedom 131  Hastening 139  Doom 140  The danger 141  The highest danger 142  The occultation of poiesis 152  That which might save 153  The sense of essence 156  Enduring 160  Bestowal 164  The essence as something bestowed 166  Bestowal as what might save 168  The mystery 174  The constellation 178  Transition to the question of art 182 Part IV. Art 185 (Metaphysical) aesthetics versus (ontological) philosophy of art 186  Art as most properly poetry 191  Art and the history of Being 201  Art and technology 202  Questioning 207 Part V. Detachment 213 Contemplation; Detachment (Gelassenheit) 214  Openness to the mystery, autochthony, lasting human works 218  Conclusion: phenomenology, improvisation on the piety in art 226 Notes 233 Cited Works of Heidegger 237 Bibliography of Major Secondary Studies 239 Index 241 vi Contents ...