Technique vs Technology

  I am reading a book called Mediating Piety: Technology and Religion in Contemporary Asia (2009), and I am inspired to reflect on the differences between technology and technique. One of the philosophers who is mentioned in this anthology is Felix Guattari, who argues that "engagement with machines makes possible new ways of existing" (Lim, p.2). This quote struck me because it makes me realize that technology doesn't necessarily get equated with mechanical 'techniques'. There is an orientation toward technology which tends to reduce it to a kind of crutch which prevents people from becoming actively involved in a process: an assembly line is one such stereotypical example. On the other hand, there is a whole spectrum of orientations which allow people to see technology not as 'technique' but as windows to allow people to create and enhance their abilities to reflect and contemplate.
   One example I am thinking about recently is the act of taking videos and sound clips of natural scenery--something I have been inclined to do recently with the change in the weather and the coming of spring. I have been trying to find ways to essentially 'capture' the sounds and sights of spring in Toronto and incorporate them into contemplative videos where nature becomes an object of meditation. Some may suggest that I am engaging in what Heidegger would refer to as "challenging" which "puts to nature the unreasonable demand that it supply energy which can be extracted and stored as such" (Heidegger 1977: 296). The act of creating a video, replicating and editing it to suit a particular message, and allowing users to view it or stream it infinitely, is something akin to trying to tap into the resources of nature and capture its beauty or spiritual values. I wouldn't necessarily say it is a form of "challenging" nature in the sense that Heidegger refers to it, since streaming a video doesn't stretch natural resources too much. On the other hand, the idea of trying to take natural images and convert them to audio-visual meditations might suggest a form of trying to capture or replicate spiritual experience itself. I am even wondering if creating 'meditations' for others might reduce them to passive spectators of technology rather than giving them space to meditate using their own method.
    If technology can inspire others to be their own creators of media, this is perhaps a very great boon to society, and it empowers others to contemplatively explore using media. But I am interested in learning what kinds of images and sounds can inspire the mood to create, and which combinations are only meant to entertain. Perhaps the most inspiring forms of media are ones which leave many questions for viewers to answer through their own creations and reflections. By hinting at something that remains unanswered or inexhaustible, contemplative media might even provide inspiration for artists in their own paths. I would be interested in learning about how one kind of media object can spark or inspire many others.


Lim, F.K.G (ed) (2009). Mediating Piety: Technology and Religion in Contemporary Asia. Boston: Brill.