Die Fraglichkeit der Technik oder Das Ge-rät

Abstract

Whoever attempts to understand the development of technique by divinely inspired human ingenuity or by the human need, desire, will to gain power, presupposes a subject as the master of technique. This point of view may lead to the erroneous conclusion that technical means would relate to ends and attainable goals like causes to effects. Regarded as means, however, techniques belong to the realm of possibility. They are means only if they can actually be used in one way or another. And this agility goes far beyond human governance. But, considered from a different point of view, namely, the German concept of Gerät (technical device; Rat: advice), technique might be rendered more understandable.