The book’s central punch is simple but devastating:
The Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Technology has long been the gold standard for this niche. Chasing Technoscience stands out by bringing together four giants of the field:
Known for the "mangle of practice" concept.
Chasing Technoscience: Matrix for Materiality builds upon this premise by convening four of the most influential figures in the philosophy of technology: The pioneer of postphenomenology.
In the digital age, we often think of data as ephemeral—floating in a "cloud." Chasing Technoscience dismantles this illusion. It argues for the materiality of information: the hardware, the electricity, and the physical infrastructure required to sustain the digital world. This is particularly relevant for readers consuming the MOBI version of this text; you are not just reading "ideas," you are engaging with a physical device that enacts the philosophy described in the book. The book’s central punch is simple but devastating:
: This means the physical stuff around us matters.
The theorists in Chasing Technoscience argue that this is a mistake. The material world—the particle accelerator, the petri dish, the computer model, the human body—is not a passive backdrop to scientific work. Instead, it actively what scientists can know and do. As the book's synopsis puts it, the material dimension plays an "important and even essential role in the practices of the sciences."
The book argues that science does not happen in a vacuum of pure thought; it is an inherently embodied, technological practice—or what scholars call . By looking at the material dimension, the text reveals that laboratory equipment, digital infrastructure, and physical environments actively shape, limit, and co-create the facts that scientists discover. Mapping the Matrix: Four Titans of Technoscience
Currently, legitimate digital copies are more frequently found in via academic databases (such as ProQuest or EBSCO) or through library services like Internet Archive/Open Library. However, for users specifically seeking a MOBI file to read on a Kindle, the best path is often to: In the digital age, we often think of
Chasing Technoscience: Matrix for Materiality is a pivotal 2003 collection edited by Don Ihde and Evan Selinger that explores how physical matter and technological artifacts actively shape scientific practice. Part of the Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Technology
The intersection of technoscience and materiality presents a rich field of inquiry within the philosophy of technology. As we continue to advance technologically and scientifically, understanding these dynamics becomes crucial for making informed decisions about the future. The "Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Technology" likely provides valuable insights into these and related topics.
Rather than viewing instruments as passive tools to prove human theories, the text examines how the material constraints and affordances of instruments actively shape what we can know.
Compare the between Latour's and Pickering's definitions of material agency. : This means the physical stuff around us matters
For portable, in-depth study, many users look for this title in (Mobipocket) format, which is optimized for e-readers such as Kindle. Where to Find the Text
The study of materiality has long been a central concern in the philosophy of technology. Philosophers such as Heidegger, Latour, and Ihde have argued that materiality is not simply a passive backdrop for human action, but rather an active participant in shaping our experiences, perceptions, and understanding of the world. The Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Technology has been instrumental in promoting this perspective, highlighting the need to examine the complex relationships between technology, science, and materiality.
Edited by Don Ihde and Evan Selinger, Chasing Technoscience: Matrix for Materiality acts as a dialogue between different sub-disciplines, primarily bridging the gap between the philosophy of technology and Science and Technology Studies (STS).
Bruno Latour contributes to the matrix by dismantling the rigid division between human subjects and non-human objects. In the technoscience matrix, a laboratory instrument, a microbe, or a computer program is treated as an "actant" with the agency to push back, alter experiments, and shape human history. Andrew Feenberg and Critical Theory
Key titles in the series include:
This book looks at how tools change human life.It says that technology is not just a set of neutral tools.Instead, tools shape how we see the world.They change how we think and live every day. The Main Ideas in the Book