El cuarto estadio de la técnica

la relación humana con la técnica contemporánea bajo una perspectiva orteguiana

Abstract

The Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset has thoroughly explored the anthropological dimension of technology, enabling a deeper understanding of the transformations in the human relationship with it. In his analysis, Ortega identifies three historical stages of this relationship: the technique of chance, the technique of the artisan, and the technique of the technician. In contemporary times, this relationship has undergone a substantial modification, exhibiting distinct features compared to the third stage. The aim of this study is to identify the defining traits of the current relationship between human beings and technology, as well as to establish its differences from previous stages. To this end, we adopt the philosophical method from an Orteguian perspective, focused on the anthropological analysis of the significance of technology in human life.

Ultimately, we propose that we are living in a fourth stage of technology, which, since the second half of the twentieth century, is characterized by a qualitatively different form of relationship compared to earlier phases.