Abstract:

Moving beyond the simple interpretation of Bernard Stiegler’s concept of “technology as organ” as a purely rhetorical figure， this paper adopts a new interpretive approach， arguing that it should be viewed as a theory-constitutive metaphor with distinct cognitive functions. It serves as the logical pivot and cognitive core for discussing the co-constitutive relationship between humans and technology. Drawing on critical analogy， epiphylogenetic analysis， and anthropological tracing， the study reveals the ontological logic of technology as an exosomatic organ of the human body. Through an analysis of the progressive metaphorical chain—from “prosthesis” to “organ，” and further to the “human-technology-society ternary organ system”—this study demonstrates the role of metaphor in driving the development and deepening the connotation of the “technology as organ” concept. On this basis， the paper critically examines the dual cognitive functions of technological metaphors： it not only highlights their heuristic and constitutive value in the generation of technological theory but also acknowledges the risk of potential cognitive concealment. This study aims to provide an explanatory theoretical perspective for grasping the symbiotic mechanism between technology and human existence.

Key words: Bernard Stiegler, technology as organ, theory-constitutive metaphor, human-technology-society ternary organ system