History of Techniques

Guillaume Carnino is Lecturer in the History of Technology at Compiègne University of Technology, France. As a nineteenth-century historian, his research interests include the epistemological and industrial foundations of technology.Xavier Guchet is Professor of Philosophy at Compiègne University of Technology, France. His work focuses on the history of the philosophy of technology and the epistemological and ethical challenges of new technologies.

• Introduction ixGuillaume CARNINO and Xavier GUCHETChapter 1 The Medieval Watermill: A History of Technology 1Lisa CALISTE and Catherine VERNA1.1 Introduction 11.2 The era of mills 21.2.1 In search of origins 21.2.2 Technical temporalities 51.3 What is a mill? 81.3.1 Hydraulic developments and structures 91.3.2 Horizontal wheels, vertical wheels 101.3.3 Tools in motion 131.4 Mills and men 151.4.1 From banal seigniory to medieval enterprise 151.4.2 Men at work 181.5 References 20Chapter 2 China and the Global History of Techniques 29Delphine SPICQ2.1 Introduction 292.2 Diffusionist model 302.3 Circulation model (of techniques) and the cultural turn 332.4 Global history model 352.5 Conclusion 392.6 References 40Chapter 3 Invention: Rehabilitating a Concept 43Liliane HILAIRE-PÉREZ3.1 Introduction 433.2 Technical intelligence in question 453.3 Banality of invention 483.4 Inventive labor 503.5 References 55Chapter 4 Materials and the History of Techniques 61Valérie NÈGRE4.1 Introduction 614.2 A new understanding of innovation 654.3 Forms of knowledge based on matter? 684.4 Reintroducing techniques into culture 704.5 Conclusion 724.6 References 73Chapter 5 Concepts of the History of Techniques: Technology 81Eric SCHATZBERG5.1 Introduction: an odd concept 815.2 History of technology or history of techniques? 825.3. Roots of the English-language concept of technology: an overview .. 875.4 Discourse of the arts from the ancient world to the enlightenment 905.5 Technology fills a semantic void 915.6 Technology triumphant 935.7 References 94Chapter 6 Industry in the History of Techniques 97Guillaume CARNINO6.1 Introduction 976.2 Defining industry 996.3 “Industrial revolution” and industrialization 1036.4 Know-how, grammatization and proletarization 1126.5 References 119Chapter 7 From Standards to Commodification (and Back Again): Histories of Technology and Capitalism 127Joris MERCELIS7.1 Introduction 1277.2 Standards and standardization: economic and technological histories 1307.3 Standardization and commodification 1367.4 Conclusion 1397.5 References 140Chapter 8 History of Techniques and the Environment 147Anaël MARREC8.1 Introduction 1478.2 Environment in the history of techniques (1960s–1990s): natural background, social context, resources 1508.2.1 History of techniques through great universal sagas: the environment as a natural backward 1518.2.2 History of companies and social studies: social and economic context, instrumental materiality 1528.2.3 History of engineers, cities and industry: pollution, waste, resources 1538.3 Environmental history and the history of techniques 1558.3.1 Techniques in American environmental history: from the destruction of nature to hybrids 1558.3.2 An environmental history of technology: “envirotechnical” approaches 1568.3.3 An environmental history of techniques? 1588.4 Conclusion 1618.5 References 162Chapter 9 Techniques and Gender 169Delphine GARDEY9.1 Women, machines and progress 1699.2 Tools, appropriation and qualification 1709.3 Machinism, techniques and masculinities 1729.4 Technical cultures and women’s industries 1739.5 Invent, innovate and undertake 1749.6 Consume, choose and mobilize 1759.7 Interpret, interact and socialize 1769.8 Scripts, facts and identities 1779.9 Communication, information technology and digital worlds 1789.10 Self-techniques, sex/gender and sexualities 1799.11 Detour, criticism and protest 1809.12 References 181Chapter 10 History of Techniques and Anthropology: Measure, Means, Mirror 189Nathan SCHLANGER10.1 Introduction 18910.2 Techniques as a measure 19210.3 Techniques as a means 19510.4 Techniques as mirrors 20110.5 References 205Chapter 11 Philosophy and History of Techniques 211Xavier GUCHET11.1 Introduction 21111.2 The beginnings of a dialogue between two young disciplines, from the 1970s onward 21311.3 The “empirical turn” in the philosophy of technology and its impact on the relations between philosophers and historians of techniques 21811.4 Before the 1970s 22411.5 Concrete elements of interdisciplinary dialogue 22711.6 Conclusion 23011.7 References 232List of Authors 235Index 237