This page offers links to timelines created by our working group featuring some of the most influential publications in the philosophy of technology. These works trace pivotal developments in how thinkers have engaged with and analyzed technology’s role, purpose, and impact on society, culture, and human thought itself. The listed publications include foundational texts by philosophers, technologists, and theorists, reflecting the complex relationship between technology and human values.
HOPOT 1800-1980 Timeline
This timeline highlights key publications from 1800 to 1980, a period marked by rapid technological and industrial transformation that profoundly shaped philosophical thought. Beginning in the early 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution advanced, philosophers began to critically engage with technology’s influence on labor, human agency, and societal structure.
In the early 20th century, major works emerged in response to mass industrialization, electrification, and, later, the rise of digital technologies—each influencing philosophical discussions on autonomy, ethics, and human existence. This period also includes the postwar emergence of cybernetics and systems theory, which would later shape contemporary philosophy of technology.
HOPOT 1980-Present Timeline
This timeline covers significant publications from 1980 to the present, reflecting an era where technological advancements rapidly intensified and diversified, giving rise to new philosophical inquiries. The 1980s saw the expansion of personal computing and early internet developments, prompting philosophers to explore issues of virtual identity, information ethics, and digital communication.
As the 21st century unfolded, the rise of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and data surveillance brought fresh ethical and existential questions regarding autonomy, privacy, and what it means to be human in an increasingly interconnected and algorithm-driven world. Recent scholarship has expanded to include critiques of digital capitalism, environmental impacts, and calls for more inclusive and global perspectives on technology’s role in society.