Enframing and Standing Reserve

Enframing and standing reserve are interrelated concepts introduced by the philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) in his critique of modern science, technology, and metaphysics. Heidegger regarded modern society as existing in a state of deep existential crisis, and his later work emphasized the roles of science and technology in that crisis. His argument [Page 157]has been adopted, applied, and disputed by scholars working in the philosophy of science and technology, environmental philosophy and ethics, media studies, science and technology studies, and other associated fields. Applied to the realm of green technology, his concepts challenge and expand prevailing notions of ecology and sustainability. They also link those notions to larger questions of existential choice and authentic engagement with the nonhuman and human world.

In his earlier work, notably ...