Description
Modern technology has changed the way we live, work, play, communicate, fight, love, and die. Yet few works have systematically explored these changes in light of their implications for individual and social welfare. How can we conceptualize and evaluate the influence of technology on human well-being? Bringing together scholars from a cross-section of disciplines, this volume combines an empirical investigation of technology and its social, psychological, and political effects, and a philosophical analysis and evaluation of the implications of such effects.
Table of Contents
Introduction Adam Briggle, Philip Brey and Edward Spence Part I: Mapping the Landscape 1. Well-Being in Philosophy, Psychology, and Economics Philip Brey 2. Theorizing Technology Carl Mitcham and Adam Briggle Part II: Theoretical Approaches 3. Quality of Life in Technological Society: A Macrosociological Approach Ruut Veenhoven 4. Capabilities and Technology Justine Johnstone 5. Happiness and Meaning in a Technological Age: A Psychological Approach Michael Steger and Joo Yeon Shin 6. The Ambivalence of the Good Life: Happiness, Economics, Technology, and Relational Goods Luigino Bruni 7. Desire-Satisfactionism and Technology Anton Tupa Part III: Consumer Products and Well-Being 8. Consuming Happiness Lindsey Patterson and Robert Biswas-Diener 9. Thinking Through Consumerism and Technology Pak Hang Wong 10. Consumption and Sustainability: A Neo-Epicurean Approach to a Sustainable Good Life in a Technological World Edward Spence 11. Cell Phones, iPods, and Subjective Well-Being Valerie Tiberius Part IV: Information Technology and Well-Being 12. New Social Media and the Virtues Shannon Vallor 13. Web 2.0: Community as Commodity? Diane P. Michelfelder 14. Types of Internet Use, Well-Being and the Good Life: Ethical Views from Prudential Psychology Omar Rosas 15. Virtually Good? Disclosing the Presuppositions Behind the Claimed Inferiority of Virtual Worlds Johnny Hartz Søraker Part V: Medical and Agricultural Technology and Well-Being 16. What’s Wrong with Techno Food? David Kaplan 17. Human Enhancement and Well-Being Bengt Brülde 18. On Hubris and Hybrids: Ascesis and the Ethics of Technology Peter Paul Verbeek 19. Brave New World: Platonism 2.0 Tsjalling Swierstra 20. Care Robots, Virtual Virtue, and the Best Possible Life Mark Coeckelbergh Part VI: Technology Design and Policy 21. Can We Design for Well-Being? Ibo van de Poel 22. The University, Metrics, and the Good Life Robert Frodeman, J. Britt Holbrook and Kelli Barr 23. Science Policy and the Expectation of Health: The Case for Reforming Peer Review at the National Institutes of Health Adam Briggle 24. Neutrality and Technology: Ortega Y Gasset on the Good Life Jeroen van den Hoven 25. Technological Change and the Destabilization of Liberal Politics Govert Valkenburg
