Abstract
Since the beginning of the so-called second wave feminism (in the middle of the 20th century), there has been a growing awareness of the urgency of a critical reflection on technics and science within feminist discourse. However, feminist thinkers have not consistently interpreted technics and science as emancipative and liberating for people who identify as women. At the same time, many early feminists criticized the structures of dominance, marginalization, and oppression inherent in numerous technologies as well as the technoscientific social structures. This is because technological development is mostly embedded in social, political, and economic systems that are patriarchally hierarchized.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Homepage TrueCompanion, FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Retrieved from http://www.truecompanion.com/shop/faq.
- 2.
David Levy (2013) discusses whether Roxxxy actually exists (I thank Susanne Steigler for this hint and Tanja Kubes also drew my attention to the fact that TrueCompanion could be a dummy company).
- 3.
Homepage Realbotix, The Software. Retrieved from https://realbotix.com/Harmony.
- 4.
Cf. Murray 2017; Homepage der Campaign Against Sex Robots. Retrieved from https://campaignagainstsexrobots.org/.
- 5.
Technological posthumanists are particularly interested in the development of a strong artificial super intelligence (Loh 2018: 112–118).
- 6.
Transhumanism primarily aims at the technological transformation of human beings into posthuman beings (Loh 2018).
References
Aengst, J. & Layne, L.L. (2010). The Need to Bleed? A Feminist Technology Assessment of Menstrual-Suppressing Birth Control Pills. In L.L. Layne, S.L., Vostral & K. Boyer (Eds.), Feminist Technology. University of Illinois, 55–88.
Alaimo, S. & Hekman, S. (Eds.) (2008). Material Feminisms. Bloomington, Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
ÄrzteZeitung. (2018). Mit Sexrobotern Pädophilie therapieren? Retrieved from https://www.aerztezeitung.de/panorama/article/955012/vision-verwerflich-sexrobotern-paedophile-therapieren.html.
Anscombe, E. (1957). Intention. Oxford.
Barad, K. (2003). Posthuman Performativity: Toward an understanding of how matter comes to matter. Signs. Journal of Women in Culture and Society 28, 801–831.
Barad, K. (2007). Meeting the Universe Halfway. Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning. Durham, London: Duke University Press.
Barad, K. (2012). Agentieller Realismus. Berlin: Suhrkamp.
Barad, K. (2015). Verschränkungen. Berlin: Merve.
Bastian, M. (2006). Haraway’s Lost Cyborg and the Possibilities of Transversalism. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 31, 1027–1049.
Bath, C., Meißner, H., Trinkaus, S. & Völker, S. (Eds.) (2013a). Geschlechter Interferenzen. Wissensformen – Subjektivierungsweisen – Materialisierungen. Berlin: LIT Verlag.
Bath, C., Meißner, H., Trinkaus, S. & Völker, S. (2013b). Einleitung. In C. Bath, H. Meißner, S. Trinkaus & S. Völker (Eds.), Geschlechter Interferenzen. Wissensformen – Subjektivierungsweisen – Materialisierungen. Berlin: LIT Verlag, 7–25.
Bendel, O. (2017). Sexroboter im Gesundheitsbereich. In IT for Health 8, 36–37.
Bleier, R. (Ed.) (1991). Feminist Approaches To Science. New York, London: Teachers College Press.
Boston Women (1971). Our Bodies, Ourselves. Boston: Boston Women’s Health Book Collective.
Bostrom, N. (2014).Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford.
Bratman, M.E. (1987). Intention, Plans, and Practical Reasons. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Braidotti, R. (2016). Jenseits des Menschen: Posthumanismus. Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ), Der neue Mensch 66, 33–38.
Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble. Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. London, New York: Routledge.
Callus, I. & Herbrechter, S. (2013). Posthumanism. In P. Wake & S. Malpas (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Critical and Cultural Theory. London, New York: Routledge, 144–153.
Campo, H., Cervelló, I. & Simón, C. (2016). Bioengineering the Uterus: An Overview of Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in Reproductive Medicine. Annals of Biomedical Engineering 45(7), 1710–1717.
Coeckelbergh, M. & Gunkel, D. (2014). Facing Animals: A Relational, Other-Oriented Approach to Moral Standing. Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Ethics 5, 715–733.
Danaher, J. (2017). Should We Be Thinking about Robot Sex? In Danaher, J. & McArthur, N. (Eds.), Robot Sex. Social and Ethical Implications. Cambridge, London: The MIT Press, 3–14.
Davidson, D. (1980). Essays on Actions and Events. New York.
Di Nucci, E. (2017). Sex Robots and the Rights of the Disabled. In Danaher, J. & McArthur, N. (Eds.), Robot Sex. Social and Ethical Implications. Cambridge, London: The MIT Press, 73–88.
Ernst, W. (2013). Feministische Technikphilosophie. In A. Grunwald (Ed.), Handbuch Technikethik. Stuttgart, Weimar: J.B. Metzler, 113–118.
Faulkner, W. (2001). The Technology Question in Feminism: A View From Feminist Technology Studies. Women’s Studies International Forum 24(1), 79–95.
Firestone, S. (1970). The Dialectic of Sex. The Case for Feminist Revolution. United States: William Morrow and Company.
Franklin, A. (2009). Posthumanism. In G. Ritzer (Ed.), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, Oxford, 3548–3550.
Fox, M.F., Johnson, D.G. & Rosser, S.V. (Eds.) (2006). Women, Gender, and Technology. Urbana, Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
Gane, N. (2006). Posthuman. Theory, Culture & Society: Explorations in Critical Social Science 23, 431–434.
Good, I.J. (1965). Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine. In F. Alt & M. Ruminoff (Hrsg.),Advances in Computers. Volume 6, Academic Press, 31–88.
Graham, E.L. (2002). Representations of the post/human. Monsters, aliens and others in popular culture. Manchester.
Gearhart, S.M. (1979). The Wanderground. Massachusetts: Persephone Press.
Grunwald, A. (2013). Technik. In A. Grunwald (Ed.), Handbuch Technikethik. Stuttgart, Weimar: J.B. Metzler, 13–17.
Haraway, D. (1985). A Cyborg Manifesto. Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century. In D. Haraway (Ed.), Manifestly Haraway. Minneapolis, London: University of Minnesota Press (2016), 3–90.
Haraway, D. (1988): Situiertes Wissen. Die Wissenschaftsfrage im Feminismus und das Privileg einer partialen Perspektive. In C. Hammer & I. Stieß (Eds.), Donna J. Haraway. Die Neuerfindung der Natur. Primaten, Cyborgs und Frauen. Frankfurt a. M., New York: Campus Verlag (1995), 73–97.
Haraway, D. (1992): The Promises of Monsters: A Regenerative Politics for Inappropriate/d Others. In L. Grossberg, C. Nelson & P.A. Treichler (Eds.), Cultural Studies. New York, London: Routledge, 295–337.
Haraway, D. (2000). How Like a Leaf. An Interview with Thyrza Nichols Goodeve. New York.
Haraway, D. (2008). The Companion Species Manifesto. In D. Haraway (Ed.), Manifestly Haraway. Minneapolis, London: University of Minnesota Press (2016), 91–198.
Haraway, D. (2016). Staying with the Trouble. Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham, London: Duke University Press.
Harding, S. (1999). Feministische Wissenschaftstheorie. Zum Verhältnis von Wissenschaft und sozialem Geschlecht. Hamburg: Argument Verlag.
Harrasser, K. (2011). Donna Haraway: Natur-Kulturen und die Faktizität der Figurationen. In S. Moebius & D. Quadflieg (Eds.), Kultur. Theorien der Gegenwart. Wiesbaden: Springer, 580–594.
Harrison, B.J., Hilton, T.N., Riviere, R.N., Ferraro, Z.M., Deonandan, R. & Walker, M.C. (2017). Advanced maternal age: ethical and medical considerations for assisted reproductive technology. International Journal of Women’s Health 9, 561–570.
Herbrechter, S. (2009). Posthumanismus. Eine kritische Einführung, Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft.
Herbrechter, S. (2018). Critical Posthumanism. In R. Braidotti & M. Hlavajova (Eds.), Posthuman Glossary. London, Oxford, New York, New Delhi: Bloomsbury, 94–96.
Hester, H. (2018). Xenofeminism. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Hofmann, H. (1999). Die feministischen Diskurse über Reproduktionstechnologien. Positionen und Kontroversen in der BRD und den USA. Frankfurt a. M., New York: Campus.
Hubig, C. (21995). Technik- und Wissenschaftsethik. Ein Leitfaden. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
Hubig, C. (32013). Historische Wurzeln der Technikphilosophie. In C. Hubig, A. Huning & G. Ropohl, Günter (Eds.), Nachdenken über Technik. Die Klassiker der Technikphilosophie und neuere Entwicklungen. Berlin: edition sigma, 19–40.
Hume, D. (1738). A Treatise of Human Nature. Retrieved from http://nothingistic.org/library/hume/treatise/treatise033.html.
Kranz, M., von der Lühe, A. & Hühn, H. (1971–2007). Technik. In J. Ritter (Ed.), Historisches Wörterbuch der Philosophie. Band 10: St–T, Basel: Schwabe, 940–952.
Krüger, O. (2007). Die Vervollkommnung des Menschen. Tod und Unsterblichkeit im Posthumanismus und Transhumanismus. Eurozine. Retrieved from https://www.eurozine.com/die-vervollkommnung-des-menschen/.
Laboria Cubonics (2014). A Politics for Alienation. Retrieved from http://www.laboriacuboniks.net/de/.
Layne, L.L. (2010). Introduction. In L.L. Layne, S.L., Vostral & K. Boyer (Eds.), Feminist Technology. University of Illinois, 1–35.
Layne, L.L., Vostral, S.L. & Boyer, K. (Eds.) (2010). Feminist Technology. University of Illinois.
Levy, D. (2013). Roxxxy the ‘Sex Robot’ – Real or Fake? Lovotics 1, 1–4.
List, E. (2008).Vom Darstellen zum Herstellen. Eine Kulturgeschichte der Naturwissenschaften. Weilerswist: Velbrück Wissenschaft.
Loh, J. (2017). Posthumanistische Anthropologie zwischen Mensch und Maschine. In J.H. Franz & K. Berr (Eds.), Welt der Artefakte. Berlin, 213–224.
Loh, J. (2018). Trans- und Posthumanismus zur Einführung. Hamburg: Junius.
Loh, J. (2019). Feministische Ansätze im Trans- und Posthumanismus. genderstudies 34, 8–10.
Löw, C., Volk, K., Leicht, I. & Meisterhans, N. (Eds.) (2017). Material turn: Feministische Perspektiven auf Materialität und Materialismus. Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich.
Lykke, N. & Braidotti, R. (Eds.) (1996). Between Monsters, Goddesses and Cyborgs. Feminist Confrontations With Science, Medicine and Cyberspace. London, New Jersey: Zed Books.
McArthur, N. & Danaher, J. (2017). How sex robots could help with the nuts and bolts of relationships. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/03/sexbots-nuts-bolts-relationships-sex-robots.
Meyer, U.I. (1997). Einführung in die feministische Philosophie. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.
Mies, M. (1986). Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale. Women in the International Division of Labour. London: Zed Books.
Mies, M. (1995). Sie sehnen sich nach dem, was sie zerstört haben. In M. Mies & V. Shiva (Eds.), Ökofeminismus. Beiträge zur Praxis und Theorie. Aus dem Englischen übersetzt von Andrea Hunziker und Margit Klingler-Clavijo. Zürich: Rotpunktverlag, 183–228.
Mlot, S. (2018). Sex Robot Samantha Upgradet With Moral Code. Retrieved from https://www.geek.com/tech/sex-robot-samantha-upgraded-with-moral-code-1743756/.
Morgan, R. (2017). Looking for robot love? Here are 5 sexbots you can buy right now. Retrieved from https://metro.co.uk/2017/09/13/looking-for-robot-love-here-are-5-sexbots-you-can-buy-right-now-6891378/.
Murphy, M. (2017). Interview: Kathleen Richardson makes the case against sex robots. Retrieved from https://www.feministcurrent.com/2017/06/02/interview-kathleen-richardson-makes-case-sex-robots/.
Murray, T. (2017). Professor Kathleen Richardson on ethical problems with sex robots. Retrieved from https://ispr.info/2017/10/27/professor-kathleen-richardson-on-ethical-problems-with-sex-robots/comment-page-1/.
Nayar, P.K. (2014). Posthumanism. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Nelson, S.M., Telfer, E.E. & Anderson, R.A. (2012). The ageing ovary and uterus: New biological insights. Human Reproduction Update 19(1), 67–83.
Ortner, S.B. (1974). Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture? In M.Z. Rosaldo & L. Lamphere (Eds.), Woman, Culture, and Society. Stanford University Press, 68–87.
Penley, C. & Ross, A. (1991). Cyborgs at Large: Interview with Donna Haraway. Technoculture 3, 1–20.
Piercy, M. (1976). Woman on the Edge of Time. New York: Fawcett Crest Books.
Pitts-Taylor, V. (Ed.) (2016). Mattering. Feminism, Science, and Materialism. New York, London: NYU Press.
Rosenberg, J.F. (1978). The Practice of Philosophy. Handbook for Beginners. United States: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Satz, D. (2017). Feminist Perspectives on Reproduction and the Family. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-family/.
Schneider, J. (2005). Donna Haraway. Live Theory. New York, London: continuum.
Schwarz, C. (2017). Inspiriert dieser neue Sexroboter zu sexueller Gewalt an Frauen – oder hält er Männer davon ab? Retrieved from https://ze.tt/mit-sexrobotern-vergewaltigungen-nachspielen-bedrohung-oder-schutz-fuer-frauen/.
Steinfeldt-Mehrtens, E. (2019). Posthumanistischer Feminismus. Gender Glossar. Retrieved from https://gender-glossar.de/glossar/item/94-posthumanistischer-feminismus.
Strikwerda, L. (2017). Legal and Moral Implications of Child Sex Robots. In Danaher, J. & McArthur, N. (Eds.), Robot Sex. Social and Ethical Implications. Cambridge, London: The MIT Press, 133–151.
Suchman, L. (22007). Human-Machine Reconfigurations. Plans and Situated Actions. Cambridge University Press.
Suchman, L. (2011). Subject objects. Feminist Theory 12, 119–145.
Trallori, L.N. (2015). Der Körper als Ware. Wien, Berlin: Mandelbaum Verlag.
Verbeek, P.-P. (2005). What Things Do. Philosophical Reflections on Technology, Agency, and Design. Pennsylvania.
Wajcman, J. (2004). TechnoFeminism. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Loh, J. (2019). What Is Feminist Philosophy of Technology? A Critical Overview and a Plea for a Feminist Technoscientific Utopia. In: Loh, J., Coeckelbergh, M. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Technology. Techno:Phil – Aktuelle Herausforderungen der Technikphilosophie, vol 2. J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-476-04967-4_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-476-04967-4_1
Published:
Publisher Name: J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart
Print ISBN: 978-3-476-04966-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-476-04967-4
eBook Packages: J.B. Metzler Humanities (German Language)