标签：garbage

Technology and Garbage in a Race

AI & the Future of Technology2019.07.06
Technology and Garbage in a Race
Published in Jiemian Commentary, with the title changed to “A Prehistory of Garbage Sorting: Flush Toilets and the Disaster of Feces”; here I’ll still use the original title. Recently, Shanghai’s push for garbage sorting has attracted the attention of the whole country. Add to that China’s earlier saying no to foreign garbage, and it shows that the national government has finally resolved to tackle the garbage problem with real determination. In response to garbage sorting, some people feel there is no need to spend so much mental energy when throwing out trash: shouldn’t we just let the garbage collectors use their judgment carefully? We know that the trade of collecting…
China technology history commentary
阅读全文

2019年7月6日
How Technology Has Shaped Our Daily Lives: Using the Toilet

Teaching & Courses2017.08.25
How Technology Has Shaped Our Daily Lives: Using the Toilet
The summer course series has finally reached the halfway point. After talking about getting up and eating, I’ve now moved into a more vulgar domain: this time, defecation. 1. Cross-section The scene this time is something everyone knows all too well: going to the toilet. Why do people go to the toilet? — So-called “three urgent needs” of human beings; excretion can be said to be one of the most basic natural needs of humankind, so there’s no need to say much more. But just like the example of eating breakfast, the ways and concepts of going to the toilet are also historical. In addition, besides meeting basic needs, going…
culture technology history course
阅读全文

2017年8月25日
The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage (Postdoctoral Exit Report): Lecture Notes

History of Science & Scholarship2017.01.07
The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage (Postdoctoral Exit Report): Lecture Notes
This is the postdoctoral exit report I did together with Teacher Tian Song. To be honest, it was done somewhat half-heartedly; many interesting threads were not able to be developed in depth. But the question itself should still be a pretty good one. First let me explain the title. In the article I did not explicitly spell out what this title meant, and some of the wording may well have caused misunderstanding. I only noticed this omission after seeing Teacher Wu Tong’s review comments, so my live report began with a remedial explanation. My “The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage” obviously imitates Bert’s work The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical…
Heidegger phenomenology modernity environment
阅读全文

2017年1月7日
Lecture Notes on The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage (Postdoctoral Exit Report)

History of Science & Scholarship2017.01.07
Lecture Notes on The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage (Postdoctoral Exit Report)
This is the postdoctoral exit report I did with Teacher Tiansong. To be honest, it was done rather half-heartedly; many interesting parts were not developed in depth, but the problem itself should still be a good one. First let me explain the title. I did not make the meaning of this title explicit in the article, and some of the phrasing may well have caused misunderstandings. I only noticed this omission after reading Teacher Wu Tong’s evaluation, so my live report began with a remedial explanation. My “The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage” is obviously modeled on Bert’s book The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science, which was my introduction…
Heidegger phenomenology modernity environment
阅读全文

2017年1月7日
The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage

History of Science & Scholarship2016.12.01
The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage
Introduction: From Philosophy of Technology to Philosophy of Garbage 1. The Historical Absence of a Philosophy of Garbage 2. How Is Garbage Possible? 3. Garbage Has Existed Since Ancient Times 4. The Modernity of Garbage I. The World of Ideas That Rejects Decay 1. The Age of the World Picture 2. The One-Sidedness of the World Picture 3. Plato’s World of Ideas 4. Aversion to Mortality II. Intellectual Purism That Rejects Ambiguity 1. Binary Opposition 2. Is and Ought 3. Identity and Garbage 4. Kant’s “Discarding Method” III. Foundationalism That Rejects Recycling 1. The Triple Synthesis 2. Memory and Its “Recycling” 3. Learning and Technology 4. The Cycle of History…
technology media Heidegger phenomenology
阅读全文

2016年12月1日
The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage

History of Science & Scholarship2016.12.01
The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Garbage
Introduction: From Philosophy of Technology to Philosophy of Garbage 1. The Historical Absence of a Philosophy of Garbage 2. How Is Garbage Possible? 3. Garbage Has Existed Since Ancient Times 4. The Modernity of Garbage I. The World of Ideas That Rejects Decay 1. The Age of the World Picture 2. The One-Sidedness of the World Picture 3. Plato’s World of Ideas 4. Aversion to Mortality II. Intellectual Purism That Rejects Ambiguity 1. Binary Opposition 2. Is and Ought 3. Identity and Garbage 4. Kant’s “Discarding Method” III. Foundationalism That Rejects Recycling 1. The Triple Synthesis 2. Memory and Its “Recycling” 3. Learning and Technology 4. The Cycle of History…
technology media Heidegger phenomenology
阅读全文

2016年12月1日
On Garbage (1): From Discarded Things to Useless Things

AI & the Future of Technology2016.01.02
On Garbage (1): From Discarded Things to Useless Things
My postdoctoral research project at the time was to work on a history of garbage. I am ashamed to say that, although I have been collaborating with Professor Tian for more than a year, there has been little real progress under this topic, and whether I will ultimately be able to turn it into my exit report is somewhat worrying. One compromise would be to write the exit report on the history of technology or the philosophy of technology, while inserting discussions of garbage at appropriate points. My intention to study garbage was not a whim, nor did I think of this topic merely because I happened to collaborate with…
technology Heidegger value Scientific Revolution
阅读全文

2016年1月2日
Postdoctoral Research Plan (A History of “Trash” from the Perspective of Media Ecology)

AI & the Future of Technology2014.04.17
Postdoctoral Research Plan (A History of “Trash” from the Perspective of Media Ecology)
I am currently applying to do a postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Tian Song at Beijing Normal University. This is a rather rare opportunity, and I very much hope it will come to fruition. As early as the beginning of my undergraduate years, I was already reading Professor Tian’s books, such as The Perpetual Motion Machine and the Goldbach Conjecture, Don Quixote’s Spear. Professor Tian can also be regarded as one of the people who first led me into philosophy of science. Of course, in terms of viewpoints and style, I differ with Professor Tian on many points, so later on my writings were basically more critical than supportive. Even so,…
technology media phenomenology nature
阅读全文

2014年4月17日
The Flush Toilet: City, Civilization, Modernity

AI & the Future of Technology2012.05.26
The Flush Toilet: City, Civilization, Modernity
Yesterday, Professor Jiang Jinsong came to Chengze Garden to give a talk titled “Observations and Reflections on the Flush Toilet,” and Professor Tian Song offered comments. Professor Jiang did not say very much, and Professor Tian’s comments were also rather hurried, but the discussion was still very lively. Indeed, the flush toilet can be counted as one of the greatest achievements of modern civilization. It is not only a device that makes “going to the bathroom” more convenient, but also a hub that helped assemble the whole modern urban way of life and the entire urban system. Professor Wu commented that Professor Jiang’s presentation should be divided into the issue…
technology value human nature modernity
阅读全文

2012年5月26日