The first year of the programme provides a core curriculum for all students on the PSTS Master’s programme (see programme for Year 1).
Courses in year 2
Philosophical Anthropology & Human-Technology Relations
This course acquaints students with the state of the art in philosophical-anthropological approaches in philosophy of technology. It focuses on the relationships between human beings and technologies, ranging from behaviour-steering technology to human enhancement technology, and on ways to assess and improve the quality of these relationships. The course develops three lines of inquiry and acquaints you with the fundamental discussions currently being pursued within them. You will then choose one of the three lines, become conversant with the latest scientific literature associated with it and write a paper on a relevant topic.
The first line, Material Morality, explores how technologies have come to play an important role in our moral actions and decisions by mediating human experiences and practices. The second, Technology and the Limits of Humanity, looks at how technological developments have started to interfere explicitly with human nature, as biotechnologies, brain implants and enhancement technologies make it possible to reshape human beings in various ways. The third line, Art, Technology, and Culture, examines how technologies help to organize human beings’ sensory repertoire, disclosing new ways of experiencing reality. The ways in which artists experiment with such mediations form a highly interesting field of application for the philosophy of contemporary art. This line also includes the cultural dimension of human-technology relations and the mediation aspects involved in technology transfer between cultures.
Shaping Technology & Use
The central question in this course is: how do human actors mould their daily lives and (re)shape technology itself through their interactions with technological artefacts? Technology users have transcended the status of passive consumers. Current phenomena such as Web 2.0, Open Source and Wikipedia are all examples of active, user-generated channels of production. This active agency in shaping technology through daily activities is blurring traditional boundaries between design and use.
In the course you will become acquainted with four interrelated scientific fields, all of which contribute to our understanding of the changing design-use relationship:
- STS, with a special focus on Actor Network Theory (ANT): an elaboration of Sociology of Translation in networks. Script analysis makes is possible to assign agency to the artefacts themselves. A second phenomenon, attachment, will also be analysed in terms of ANT.
- Media Studies: In the domestication theory the focus of analysis shifts to the agency of users in the appropriation of technological artefacts.
- Innovation Studies conceptualizes the dynamics of user/user community innovation.
- Sociology: Giddens’ structuration theory is integrated with STS insights into a conceptual framing of Duality of Technology.
A substantial part of this course encompasses the design and execution of a small empirical research project. You will learn all of the steps involved in a research design (research question – theoretical framework – choice of method and data – operationalization of theoretical concepts – gathering data – interpreting data in theoretical terms – conclusion). The core theories are Actor Network Theory, Sociology of Translation, Domestication Theory, Structuration Theory and User-Innovators Perspective. Class discussions will cover recent developments that integrate STS with media and innovation studies.
Philosophy of Mind, Body & Technology
This course will acquaint you with current theories and approaches to the relationship between mind, body and technology:
- The theme of technology and the body will take Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of the body as a starting point. From there, it will move on to Canguilhem’s theory of Organism versus Machine, Don Ihde’s theory of Bodies in Technology and Vivian Sobchak’s work on techno-bodies. It focuses on how the relationships between bodies and technology can be conceptualized and asks what role the body can play in a future philosophy of technology.
- Philosophy of mind studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. Key questions include: What do we mean by mind? How do we attribute mentality? How are mental and physical properties related? What is consciousness? An overview of these themes will be offered as a general framework. To address the theme of mind and technology, the course will focus on Andy Clark’s theory of embodied embedded cognition, which links technology and the philosophy of mind. In this context, we will also discuss internalist and externalist approaches to mind, as well as the notion of introspection. After studying the central elements of Clark’s ‘Natural Born Cyborgs’, the focus will be on its relevance for the philosophy of technology, and its reception by philosophers of technology (e.g. Selinger).
- Finally, the course brings these lines together by addressing issues of identity and technology, focusing on brain technologies and prosthetic technologies in relation to people’s self-understanding and sense of personal identity.
Elective Courses
You can choose two courses from another profile. More information about these courses can be found by following the links below:
- Dynamics of Science, Technology & Society
- Technology & Values
MasterLab 1 and MasterLab 2
The main goal of these courses is to provide you with guidance and coaching in your research activities, first by assisting you in writing a research proposal (MasterLab 1), and later by providing an infrastructure for (peer) coaching and training in connection with your graduation project (MasterLab 2). The courses starts with seminars/workshops dedicated to particular aspects of research skills and selecting an appropriate a topic. They continue with seminars during which you will present and discuss draft research proposals. Finally, MasterLab 2 will be devoted to writing your Master’s thesis. The MasterLab 2 Master’s thesis meetings are held once every two weeks.
PSTS Internship
If you are interested in pursuing a professional career rather than a career devoted to research, you may opt to go on a brief internship. This internship will enable you to get acquainted with your future professional field.
PSTS Master’s thesis
If you opt for a career in research, you will write a Master’s thesis of between 40 and 60 pages (30 credits). If you opt for the professional profile, you will write a Master’s thesis of between 30 and 50 pages (20 credits), and earn your remaining 10 credits on your internship. You will be supervised by one of our expert staff members and will also have two meetings with a specially convened graduation committee. Your final exam will include an oral defence of your thesis.