The Society for Philosophy and Technology (SPT) is an independent international organization founded in 1976 whose purpose is to promote philosophical consideration of technology. SPT publishes Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology, an academic journal.
History 1975: Newsletter launched: formation of SPT and establishing the journal Techné in years to follow 1978: Annual Book Series Research in Philosophy of Technology was launched 1981: Actual organization of SPT with the first biennial international meeting organized by Fritz Rapp in Bad Homberg, Germany 1995: The first issue of Techné 2010: Techné is published by the Philosophy Documentation Center
Presidents A new president for the Society for Philosophy and Technology is chosen every two years (except in 1995).
1981: Carl Mitcham 1983: Alex Michalos 1985: Kristin Shrader-Frechette 1987: Marx Wartofsky 1989: Langdon Winner 1991: Joseph C. Pitt 1993: Jose Sanmartin 1997: Paul Durbin 1999: Deborah Johnson 2001: Andrew Light 2003: Paul Thompson 2005: Peter Kroes 2007: Diane Michelfelder 2009: Philip Brey 2011: Sven Ove Hansson 2013: Peter-Paul Verbeek 2015: Shannon Vallor 2017: Mark Coeckelbergh 2019: Pieter E. Vermaas 2021: Inmaculada de Melo-Martín 2023: Robert Rosenberger 2025: Alfred Nordmann
SPT conferences 1981: Bad Homberg, Germany: Joint German-American Conference (Rapp), Germany, Organizer: Fritz Rapp 1983: Polytechnic Institute of New York, NYC, USA, Organizer: Carl Mitcham 1985: University of Twente, Netherlands, Organizer: Louk Fleishacker of Free University, Amsterdam 1987: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, Organizer: Joe Pitt 1989: Bordeaux, France, Organizer: Daniel Cerezuelle 1991: University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Organizer: Elena Lugo 1993: Peniscola (Valencia), Spain, Organizer: Jose Sanmartin 1995: Hofstra University, Long Island, New York, USA 1996: Puebla, Mexico, Organizer: Raul Gutierrez 1997: University of Düsseldorf, Germany, Organizer: Alois Huning 1999: University of California, San Jose / Silicon Valley, USA, Organizer: Noam Cook 2001: Aberdeen, Scotland, Organizer: Andrew Light 2003: Park City, Utah, USA, Organizer: Diane Michelfelder 2005: Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands, Organizer: Peter Kroes 2007: USC/VT, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, Organizers: Davis Baird, Ann Johnson, Joe Pitt 2009: University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, Organizers: Philip Brey, Tsjalling Swierstra, Peter-Paul Verbeek, Katinka Waelbers 2011: University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA, Organizers: David Kaplan and Adam Briggle 2013: in Lisbon, Portugal 2015: NEU International Hotel, Shenyang, China 2017: Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, Organizers: Alfred Nordmann and Sabine Ammon 2019: Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA, Organizers: Martin Peterson (Chair), Deb Banerjee, Jonathan Coopersmith, Glen Miller, Gregory Pappas, Linda Radzik 2021: Université Catholique de Lille, Lille, France, Organizers: David Doat, Richard Lewis, Xavier Guchet 2023: Tokyo, Japan 2025: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Pre-SPT events 1965: symposium at 8th annual SHOT (with AAAS) meeting in San Francisco 1973: international conference on history and philosophy of technology, University of Illinois 1975: University of Delaware (Paul T. Durbin): first meeting of philosophers interested in technology, organized with much help from Carl Mitcham 1977: 2d UD meeting, at which they talked about a society and established a newsletter (with Durbin as first editor), as well as set in motion meetings jointly with APA sections, and an election some time before the end of 1980. (First candidates were Carl Mitcham, who won, and Mario Bunge.) 1978: First APA Eastern meeting. Also first volume in RESEARCH IN PHILOSOPHY AND TECHNOLOGY (Johnson) series.
References
External links SPT website Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology