The Role of the Physical and Intentional Aspects of Artefacts as Social Agents (Especially for Converging Human Enhancement Technologies)

The objective of this paper is to analyze and explain the physical features and human aspects of technical artefacts in social changes with referential emphasis on converging human enhancement technologies. In this line, three approaches to technical artefacts as a social agency are studied and analyzed, i.e. essentialism, social constructionism, and dual nature theory of technical artefacts. On the basis of the functional interpretation of the theory of dual nature, attempt has been made to explain the following contention: realization of function of technical artefacts is subject to taking into consideration the role of social agents (including the user). Hence, if the users of a convergent technical artefacts, belong to a society other than its designers, they can determine a function for that technical artefacts compatible with their own objective, although its realization will become restricted to the objectives of its designers (for instance through the structure and physical features of the target product).