The Axiology of Technology – on the Way to the Human Dimension of Complex Technical Systems

Abstract

The article considers the axiology of technology as a promising direction of the philosophy of science – the direction that is able to form a new vector of re­search in the field of complex human-sized systems generated by modern technogenic civilization. The consideration of these systems was started in the­works of V.S. Stepin and continued by V.E. Lepskiy and V.I. Arshinov, who connected this problem with the concept of subjectness. The human dimension of technical systems is understood as their conformity to the values of humans and society as individual and collective subjects. The author makes an assump­tion that this kind of conformity is possible only when technical systems reach a level of complexity that will allow them to be included in the scheme of rela­tions of subjects. Modern technical systems based on artificial intelligence are able to demonstrate a resemblance of some of the properties of subjectness, which makes it possible to regard them as pseudo-subjects and include them in subjects’ relations. This work suggests a way to further develop a subject-ori­ented approach based on post-non-classical scientific rationality through the crea­tion of a three-part scheme of the following types of subjects of value relations: human as an individual subject, society as a collective subject, complex techni­cal systems based on artificial intelligence as a pseudo-subject. Each type of subjects corresponds to its own level of value attitude, which consists in di­rect dependence on whether the subject appears to be the ultimate reality or de­pends in its existence on another subject. The presence of a direct relationship between these levels ensures the human dimension of complex technical sys­tems by including them in a holistic scheme of value-colored interaction of sub­jects. The article also points out the danger of anthropomorphization of pseudo-subjects.