Peter-Paul Verbeek is a teacher and researcher in the philosophy of technology at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. His book was originally published in Dutch under the title De daadkracht derdingen: Over techniek, filosofie en vormgeving (2000).

• ContentsPreface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: To the Things Themselves1. The Death of Things2. The Thing About the Philosophy of Technology3. Toward a Philosophy of ArtifactsPart I: Philosophy Beyond Things1. Technology and the Self1.1 Introduction1.2 Technology and Mass-Rule1.3 Human Beings and Mass Production1.4 Mass Existence1.5 The Neutrality of Technology1.6 Conclusion2. The Thing about Technology2.1 Introduction2.2 Heidegger’s Philosophy of Technology2.3 To Be or Not to Be—That Is the Question2.4 Heidegger and Things2.5 ConclusionPart II: Philosophy from Things3. Postphenomenology3.1 Introduction3.2 Empirical Research into Technology3.3 Beyond Classical Phenomenology3.4 Toward a Postphenomenology of Things4. A Material Hermeneutic4.1 Introduction4.2 Relations Between Human Beings and Artifacts4.3 Mediation and Meaning4.4 Artifacts, Culture, and Science4.5 Conclusion5. The Acts of Artifacts5.1 Introduction5.2 Latour’s Amodern Ontology5.3 Technical Mediation5.4 Actor-Network Theory and Postphenomenology5.5 Mediation of Action5.6 Conclusion6. Devices and the Good Life6.1 Introduction6.2 The Device Paradigm6.3 Technology and the Good Life6.4 Beyond Alienation6.5 Mediated Engagement6.6 Conclusion: The Mediation of Action and ExperiencePart III: Philosophy for Things7. Artifacts in Design7.1 Introduction7.2 The Materiality of Things7.3 Toward a Material Aesthetics7.4 Durable Designs7.5 Conclusion

“Peter-Paul Verbeek is one of the up-and-coming philosophers of technology. He has been able to combine some of the best insights from both contemporary philosophy of technology and the newer strands of science studies. Looking at materiality, he extends the attentiveness to things that comes from these movements. His own original insights show forth in this book.”—Don Ihde, SUNY–Stony Brook