• Cover (1)
• Half Title (2)
• Series Page (3)
• Title Page (4)
• Copyright Page (5)
• Contents (8)
• Preface (12)
• Chapter 1: Introduction (14)
  • Historical Context (15)
  • Metaphysical Context (19)
  • Anthropological Context (22)
  • Outline (27)
• Part I: The General Categorisation: Part I (30)
• Chapter 2: Artificial Categorisations (32)
  • Usefulness (33)
  • Artefacts (34)
    • The Modification Condition (34)
    • The Intention Condition (36)
  • Assessing the Artefact/Non-artefact Distinction (38)
  • Entity Realism (42)
  • Assessing the Entity Realist Approach (43)
  • Summary (45)
• Chapter 3: A User-Friendly Metaphysics (46)
  • Activity Realism (46)
  • The Usefulness of the Activity Realist Approach (48)
  • Comparing the Two Approaches (51)
  • Final Pushbacks (53)
  • Summary (57)
• Chapter 4: Problem-Solving Technologies (58)
  • Defining Technology (58)
  • Degrees of Technological-ness (61)
  • Responding to Objections (64)
  • Summary (67)
• Chapter 5: The Conditions for the Possibility of Technologies (68)
  • The Humanism/Non-humanism Debate (69)
  • Humanism and Non-humanism in Philosophy of Technology (70)
    • The Metaphysical Dimensions (72)
  • Non-humanist Conditions (74)
  • Humanist Conditions  (76)
    • Revisiting Problem-Solving Activities (76)
    • Human Users (77)
    • The Mind-Dependence of Problems (80)
    • Human Evaluators (80)
  • Cognitive Objects in Problem-Solving Activities (82)
  • Summary (86)
• Part II: The Particular Categorisation: Part II (88)
• Chapter 6: A Taxonomy of Function Theories (90)
  • Ways of Studying Function (91)
  • Sources of Function (92)
    • Intentional Theories (92)
    • Capacity Based and Causal-Role Theories (94)
    • Evolutionary Theories (95)
  • Justification of Function Ascriptions (97)
  • Linguistic Categorisation of Objects (99)
    • Creative Use  (100)
    • Linguistic Values of Evolutionary Theories (103)
  • Summary (104)
• Chapter 7: Conservative Functions vs. Authentic Functions (106)
  • Entity Realism and Function Essentialism (107)
    • Preston’s Theory (108)
  • Assessing Entity Realist Theories of Function (111)
  • Entity Realism, the Causal Theory of Reference and the Study of Kinds (113)
  • From Internalist to Externalist Theories (116)
  • From Intentional to Belief-based Theories (118)
  • Summary (121)
• Chapter 8: A User-Friendly Theory of Function (124)
  • The Belief-based Consequentialist Theory (126)
  • Justified Beliefs vs. Truth (129)
  • Black Boxes and Non-material Consequences (134)
  • Summary (137)
• Part III: Ontology: Part III (140)
• Chapter 9: Existence of Artefacts (142)
  • An Entity Realist Notion of Being (143)
  • Entity Realism and the Ontology of Artefacts (144)
  • How to Assign Existence to Artefacts  (147)
  • Summary (151)
• Chapter 10: Reality of Technologies (154)
  • An Activity Realist Notion of Being (155)
  • The Problem-based Reality of Technologies (159)
  • Existing Realities (161)
  • Language and Reality (163)
  • Summary (165)
• Part IV: Activity Realism in Practice: Part IV (168)
• Chapter 11: Scientific Reality (170)
  • Clarifying Terminology (171)
  • The Reality of Scientific Entities (173)
  • The Technology-Dependent Reality of Unobservable Entities (175)
  • Comparing the Three Activities (177)
  • Conservatism and Degrees of the Technology-Dependence of Sciences (180)
  • Summary (184)
• Chapter 12: The Human, the Technological and the Limitations of Autonomous Systems (186)
  • Activity Realism and Autonomous Systems (187)
  • Norms and Goals of Activities (188)
  • Replaceable Activities (191)
  • Irreplaceable Activities (195)
    • The Epistemic Condition of Performance (195)
    • The Logical Condition of Engagement (197)
  • Design Ramifications (200)
  • Summary (202)
• References (204)
• Index (212)
• About the Author (218)