Acting with Artefacts

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Acting with Artefacts
Wilhelm Wittmann Stilleben mit Nahutensilien

This PhD research addresses the question of how the involvement of an artefact influences the very nature of an action, and how we can understand such an action from the nature of the artefact. To this end, we will create a typology of both (technical) artefacts and actions, based on salient features and a phenomenological analysis.

One of the most interesting aspects of artefacts is that they can shift responsibility for an action away from the user as well as give him added responsibilities. When and how this shift occurs will be investigated as well.

Although the project is mostly situated in action theory and the philosophy of technology, it will contain a meta-ethical part as well. This part will deal with questions of responsibility for actions undertaken with artefacts (like when a manufacturer can be held responsible when my action fails due to a defect in the artefact).