Trust in Technological Systems

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Technology is a practically indispensible means for satisfying one’s basic interests in all central areas of human life including nutrition, habitation, health care, entertainment, transportation, and social interaction. It is impossible for any one person, even a well-trained scientist or engineer, to know enough about how technology works in these different areas to make a calculated choice about whether to rely on the vast majority of the technologies she/he in fact relies upon. Yet, there are substantial risks, uncertainties, and unforeseen practical consequences associated with the use of technological artifacts and systems. The salience of technological failure (both catastrophic and mundane), as well as technology’s sometimes unforeseeable influence on our behavior, makes it relevant to wonder whether we are really justified as individuals in our practical reliance on technology. Of course, even if we are not justified, we might nonetheless continue in our technological reliance, since the alternatives might not be attractive or feasible. In this chapter I argue that a conception of trust in technological artifacts and systems is plausible and helps us understand what is at stake philosophically in our reliance on technology. Such an account also helps us understand the relationship between trust and technological risk and the ethical obligations of those who design, manufacture, and deploy technological artifacts.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNorms in Technology
EditorsM.J. de Vries, S.O. Hansson, A.W.M. Meijers
Place of PublicationDordrecht
PublisherSpringer
Pages223-237
Number of pages15
ISBN (Print)978-94-007-5243-6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Publication series

NamePhilosophy of Engineering and Technology
Volume9
ISSN (Print)1879-7202
ISSN (Electronic)1879-7210

Keywords

  • Institutional Trust
  • Moral Emotion
  • Normative Expectation
  • Technological System
  • True Belief

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