The Society for Philosophy and Technology (SPT) is an independent international organization

Organization

An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...

 founded in 1976 whose purpose is to promote philosophical consideration of technology

Technology

Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...

. SPT publishes Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology

Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology

Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology is a peer-reviewed academic journal with a focus on philosophical analysis of technological systems. The journal was established in 1995 as an electronic journal, under the sponsorship of the Society for Philosophy and Technology...

, a tri-annual scientific journal.

History

2010 Techné is published by the Philosophy Documentation Center

1995 The first issue of Techné: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/SPT/v1n1n2/

1981 Actual organization of SPT with the first biennial international meeting organized by Fritz Rapp
in Bad Homberg, Germany

1978 Annual Book Series Research in Philosophy of Technology was launched

1975 Newsletter launched: formation of SPT and establishing the journal Techné in years to follow

Presidents

2009 Philip Brey
2007 Diane Michelfelder
2005 Peter Kroes
2003 Paul Thompson
2001 Andrew Light
1999 Deborah Johnson
1997 Paul Durbin
1995 Larry Hickman
1993 Jose Sanmartin
1991 Joseph C. Pitt
1989 Langdon Winner
1987 Marx Wartofsky
1985 Kristin Shrader-Frechette
1983 Alex Michalos
1981 Carl Mitcham

SPT Conferences

2009 University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, Organizers: Philip Brey, Tsjalling Swierstra,Peter-Paul Verbeek, Katinka Waelbers

2007 USC/VT, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, Organizers: Davis Baird, Ann Johnson, Joe Pitt

2005 Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands, Organizer: Peter Kroes

2003 Park City, Utah, USA, Organizer: Diane Michelfelder

2001 Aberdeen, Scotland, Organizer: Andrew Light

1999 University of California, San Jose / Silicon Valley, USA, Organizer: Noam Cook

1997 University of Dusseldorf, Germany, Organizer: Alois Huning

1996 Puebla, Mexico, Organizer: Raul Gutierrez

1995 Hofstra University, Long Island, New York, USA

1993 Peniscola (Valencia), Spain, Organizer: Jose Sanmartin

1991 University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Organizer: Elena Lugo

1989 Bordeaux, France, Organizer: Daniel Cerezuelle

1987 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, Organizer: Joe Pitt

1985 University of Twente, Netherlands, Organizer: Louk Fleishacker of Free University, Amsterdam

1983 Polytechnic Institute of New York, NYC, USA, Organizer: Carl Mitcham

1981 Bad Homberg, Germany: Joint German-American Conference (Rapp), Germany, Organizer: Fritz Rapp

Pre-SPT Events

1978: First APA Eastern meeting. Also first volume in RESEARCH IN PHILOSOPHY AND TECHNOLOGY (Johnson) series.

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.)

1975 University of Delaware (Paul T. Durbin): first meeting of philosophers interested in technology, organized with much help from Carl Mitcham

1973 international conference on history and philosophy of technology, University of Illinois

1965 symposium at 8th annual SHOT (with AAAS) meeting in San Francisco