Homo Faber －The Impact of Tool Use Cultures on Ecosystems and Society
Hans-Martin Sass
Abstract We humans are creating and using tools -hardware tools and software tools, and we love to play: we correctly have called ourselves Homo Faber and Homo Ludens, the species which uses tools and loves to play. Hardware tools include hammers and axes, farms and vineyards, houses cars and mails, networks of electricity and commerce. Software tools include rules and values, punishments and honors, Gods and Goddesses, good and evil spirits, languages and traditions, ceremonies and festivals, parties and plays. I present a Biocultural Imperative: ‘Support direct human inter-action and common-sense as an end in itself and use robots and other artificial and empathy intelligence as tools only in stabilizing human cultures, enjoyable and open to the future'.
Content. 1. Cultures of Hardware and Software Tools 2. Hardware Tools 3. Software Tools 4. Human Species-Specific Biological Properties 5. Animate and Non-Animate Tools 6. Understanding and Mastering Tool Cultures 7. The Conceptual Errors of Transhumanism 8. A ‘Biocultural Imperative’ for Tool Use and Play
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