Abstract:

Human thought and behaviour are closely related to intentionality. Unlike the two traditional paths of phenomenology and ethics of intentionality， Verbeek proposes a third path of composite intentionality： human beings and technological objects co-mediating technological practices. In the era of big data， as the embodied characteristics of new technological artifacts such as data and algorithms become more and more obvious， digital technology is bringing great convenience to human life， while at the same time， people’s autonomous thinking and actions are being disciplined and even controlled by digital platforms. Relying on digital survival to quantify people， manipulating people through relevance algorithms， and inducing people with persuasive technologies， digital platforms are constructing a kind of composite intentionality in which the role of technological objects far exceeds that of human subjects， profoundly influencing and regulating users’ autonomous judgement and choices. In the face of this challenge， an effective governance program should be based on the theory of composite intentionality， correcting the current non-anthropocentrism of “seeing things but not seeing people” by emphasizing the co-presence of people and technological artifacts.

Key words: composite intentionality, digital platform, technological artifact, digital technology