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A Study on Sandel’s Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the Philosophy of Lao Zi

Received: 19 July 2017     Published: 19 July 2017
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Abstract

While acknowledging the benefits of technological progress to mankind, Sandel has also made a careful reflection on the human attempt to use technology (especially genetic technology) to change natural attributes. In his view, Muscle enhancement, memory enhancement, height enhancement and gender selection: those four bio-engineering examples have revealed their importance for the first time, In the increasingly advanced technology, people are showing an unprecedented fanatical worship and pursuit of technology. From the transformation of the objective world, to the transformation of the cognitive world, and then to the transformation of people themselves, In human use of technology to seek perfection, is hidden a deep ethical crisis. On Sandel's Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the perspective of Lao Zi's philosophy, these results suggest that there are lots of mutual echoes between Lao Zi's philosophy and Sandel's Ethical Thoughts of Technology, which make the two sides could inspire and learn from each other.

Published in International Journal of Philosophy (Volume 5, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijp.20170503.12
Page(s) 30-35
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Sandel, Genetic Technology, Opposition to Perfection

References
[1] Mark C Murphy, ed. Alasdair MacIntyre [M], (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p. 2.
[2] Michael Sandel: Opposing Perfectness: War of Science and Technology against Human Justice [M]. translated by Huang Huihui, Zhongxin Press, 2013: 108.
[3] Hans Jonas. The Imperative of Responsibility: In search of an Ethics for the Technological Age [M]. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984. 235.
[4] Lewis Mumford, Technics and the Nature of Man, in Carl Mitcham and Robert Mackey, eds. Philosophy and Tcthnology, Readings in the Philsophical Problems of Technolofy, The Free Press, 1972, PP. 77-85.
[5] Georges Enderle. The capability approach as guidance for corporate ethics. Handbook of the Philosophical Foundation of Business Ethics. 675-691.
[6] Zhao Jianjun: Questioning Technology Pessimism [M]. Northeast University Press, Liaoning. 2001: 84.
[7] Sparrow, L. (2006). In the hands of machines? The future of aged care. Minds and Machines, 16 (2), 141–161.
[8] Wang Qian: Between "Tao" and "Skill" --- Technology Philosophy in China's Cultural Background [M]. People's Press, Beijing. 2009: 62.
[9] Deng Lianhe: Lao Zi, Zhuang Zi and Modern Technology Criticism [M]. Central Compiling Publishing Company, Beijing. 2009: 27.
[10] Michael J. Sandel, Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2005.
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  • APA Style

    Wang Guoyu, Chen Xiaodong. (2017). A Study on Sandel’s Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the Philosophy of Lao Zi. International Journal of Philosophy, 5(3), 30-35. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170503.12

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    ACS Style

    Wang Guoyu; Chen Xiaodong. A Study on Sandel’s Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the Philosophy of Lao Zi. Int. J. Philos. 2017, 5(3), 30-35. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20170503.12

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    AMA Style

    Wang Guoyu, Chen Xiaodong. A Study on Sandel’s Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the Philosophy of Lao Zi. Int J Philos. 2017;5(3):30-35. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20170503.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijp.20170503.12,
      author = {Wang Guoyu and Chen Xiaodong},
      title = {A Study on Sandel’s Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the Philosophy of Lao Zi},
      journal = {International Journal of Philosophy},
      volume = {5},
      number = {3},
      pages = {30-35},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijp.20170503.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170503.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijp.20170503.12},
      abstract = {While acknowledging the benefits of technological progress to mankind, Sandel has also made a careful reflection on the human attempt to use technology (especially genetic technology) to change natural attributes. In his view, Muscle enhancement, memory enhancement, height enhancement and gender selection: those four bio-engineering examples have revealed their importance for the first time, In the increasingly advanced technology, people are showing an unprecedented fanatical worship and pursuit of technology. From the transformation of the objective world, to the transformation of the cognitive world, and then to the transformation of people themselves, In human use of technology to seek perfection, is hidden a deep ethical crisis. On Sandel's Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the perspective of Lao Zi's philosophy, these results suggest that there are lots of mutual echoes between Lao Zi's philosophy and Sandel's Ethical Thoughts of Technology, which make the two sides could inspire and learn from each other.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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    AB  - While acknowledging the benefits of technological progress to mankind, Sandel has also made a careful reflection on the human attempt to use technology (especially genetic technology) to change natural attributes. In his view, Muscle enhancement, memory enhancement, height enhancement and gender selection: those four bio-engineering examples have revealed their importance for the first time, In the increasingly advanced technology, people are showing an unprecedented fanatical worship and pursuit of technology. From the transformation of the objective world, to the transformation of the cognitive world, and then to the transformation of people themselves, In human use of technology to seek perfection, is hidden a deep ethical crisis. On Sandel's Ethical Thoughts of Technology from the perspective of Lao Zi's philosophy, these results suggest that there are lots of mutual echoes between Lao Zi's philosophy and Sandel's Ethical Thoughts of Technology, which make the two sides could inspire and learn from each other.
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Author Information
  • Department of Philosophy of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China

  • Department of Philosophy of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China

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