A Research on Modernity from the Perspective of Technological Critique——An Analysis on Andrew Fernbeeg's "Alternative Modernity" Theory

This paper is to analyze the American technology philosopher Andrew Fernbeeg'sAlternative Modernity Theoryfrom such two aspects as the question diagnosis and the outlet inquiry of modernity.The first aspect in-cludes three aspects,which are the narrow understanding of rationality's connotation due to the differentiation of rationality,the deviative understanding on the technical essence and the judgment ofthe progress.Then the au-thors think about the outlet for modernity,namely the modernity characteristics are determinated by culture.Cul-tures in different areas form different technologies,then form the unique modernity.Cultures select technologies through the moment of concretization,and its result is the compatibility between culture and technology.Finally, we illustrate the relation between thealternative causesand theunique causein modernity,and suggest that its theory essence is to discuss the relation between the traditional culture and the modernity.