Vision Assessment: Shaping Technology in 21st Century Society

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-X

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2. Outline

   1. Outline

      • Michael Decker, John Grin, Armin Grunwald, Peter Mambrey, Rob Reuzel, August Tepper et al.

      Pages 1-6

3. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

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   2. Vision Assessment to Support Shaping 21st Century Society? Technology Assessment as a Tool for Political Judgement

      • John Grin

      Pages 9-30

4. Case Studies. Technology Assessment and the Role of Visions

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 31-31

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   2. Technology Assessment as Metaphor Assessment. Visions Guiding the Development of Information and Communications Technologies

      • Peter Mambrey, August Tepper

      Pages 33-51

   3. Technology Assessment in the Health Care Area: A Matter of Uncovering or of Covering Up?

      • John Grin

      Pages 53-69

   4. Bloodless War or Bloody Non-Sense? Technology Assessment’s Role in Uncovering Old Propositions behind New Airpower Concepts

      • John Grin

      Pages 71-96

5. Visions and Societal Rationality

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 97-97

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   2. Technology Policy Between Long-Term Planning Requirements and Short-Ranged Acceptance Problems. New Challenges for Technology Assessment

      • Armin Grunwald

      Pages 99-147

   3. Replacing Human Beings by Robots. How to Tackle that Perspective by Technology Assessment

      • Michael Decker

      Pages 149-166

6. Conclusions

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 169-189

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   2. The Lessons we Learnt: First Outline of Strategy and a Methodical Repertoire for Vision Assessment

      • John Grin, Armin Grunwald, Michael Decker, Peter Mambrey, Rob Reuzel, Gert Jan van der Wilt

      Pages 169-189

7. Back Matter

   Pages 191-192

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One way to shape technology and its embedding in society in the 21st century is through the visions that guide their development, especially concerning the long-term societal perspective. A critical discussion and assessment of these visions is a prerequisite for influencing the course of development. Technology assessment, therefore, has to provide a methodological repertoire for assessing and constructing visions, taking into account the requirements for long-term orientation as well as the need for public legitimation. This volume draws upon insights from technology assessment, political sciences, epistemology, sociology and ethics. It is to contribute to the recent literature in on "shaping technology", taking into account the "co-evolution of technology and society". It connects to that technology assessment literature that emphasises TA's pro-active role and its contribution to political judgement.

• Co-Evolution
• Technologie
• Technologiefolgen
• Technology Assessment
• development
• ethics
• planning
• robot
• technology

• Afdeling Politicologie, Universiteit van Amsterdam, DL Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  John Grin

• Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany

  Armin Grunwald

Policies and ethics