The Good Life in a Technological Age

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.

Philip Brey is Professor of Philosophy of Technology and chair of the Department of Philosophy, University of Twente, the Netherlands. Adam Briggle is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of North Texas. Edward Spence is a Senior Lecturer in Moral Philosophy and Professional Ethics in the School of Communication, Charles Sturt University, Australia.

Introduction Adam Briggle, Philip Brey and Edward Spence Part 1: Mapping the Landscape 1. Well-Being in Philosophy, Psychology, and Economics Philip Brey 2. Theorizing Technology Carl Mitcham and Adam Briggle Part 2: 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 3: 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 4: 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 5: 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 6: 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