Autonomy stands as a core goal of modern education. An autonomous person is unconstrained by external barriers and, in essence, owns their thoughts and actions authentically. However, the individualistic focus of the liberal tradition falls short in fully grappling with autonomy's complexities. We must confront the theoretical and practical threats that technology poses to it. Postphenomenology provides a valuable lens for this inquiry. In this study, we use conceptual analysis to align key themes of autonomy with postphenomenological theory. From this view, technologies are not foreign entities but integral co-inhabitants of human existence; thus, humans can never achieve complete independence from them. Yet, if technology's concealed intentionalities remain unexamined and unaddressed, they risk eroding both human autonomy and educational practices. This research's core proposal is to rethink autonomy within the entangled human-technology relationships of the contemporary world. Amid intelligent, pervasive technologies, autonomy emerges anew as a spectrum of opportunities for self-realization and self-assessment. To realize this, we need frameworks that promote innovative ways of coexisting with technology. Key strategies include redefining technological habits in education, building technological literacy and self-cultivation routines, and shaping the spatial-temporal environments of children and adolescents—all informed by a postphenomenological grasp of human-technology dynamics.
Karimian, J. and Sajjadieh, N. (2025). Technology and Education, Re-imagining Autonomy through the Lens of PostPhenomenology. Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 19(52), 321-344. doi: 10.22034/jpiut.2025.64142.3903
MLA
Karimian, J. , and Sajjadieh, N. . "Technology and Education, Re-imagining Autonomy through the Lens of PostPhenomenology", Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 19, 52, 2025, 321-344. doi: 10.22034/jpiut.2025.64142.3903
HARVARD
Karimian, J., Sajjadieh, N. (2025). 'Technology and Education, Re-imagining Autonomy through the Lens of PostPhenomenology', Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 19(52), pp. 321-344. doi: 10.22034/jpiut.2025.64142.3903
CHICAGO
J. Karimian and N. Sajjadieh, "Technology and Education, Re-imagining Autonomy through the Lens of PostPhenomenology," Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 19 52 (2025): 321-344, doi: 10.22034/jpiut.2025.64142.3903
VANCOUVER
Karimian, J., Sajjadieh, N. Technology and Education, Re-imagining Autonomy through the Lens of PostPhenomenology. Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 2025; 19(52): 321-344. doi: 10.22034/jpiut.2025.64142.3903
)
Send comment about this article