Technology

Josef Smajs

Technics can be a tool extending human body parts and senses or a combined physical system (man-tool, man-machine, man-natural process) created by a culture and utilizing human powers and external natural powers, structures, and systems for human cultural purposes. It is not important whether these systems and powers are predominantly animate or inanimate, natural or artificial, located inside or outside of humans. Technics may be human work with bare hands or with a tool, a factory production line, soil cultivation with a tractor or with animal power, corn growing, bread baking, or wine fermentation. There is one phenomenon differentiating technics from nature: the relevant structures and powers must establish a purposeful process that doesn't work primarily for nature but for humans. The term “technics” is usually understood objectively, with the emphasis placed upon the artificial element of the total technical system. It usually represents the “technical phenotype,” that is, the ...

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