Normativity and Innovation: An Approach to Concepts of Innovation from the Perspective of Philosophy of Technology

The aim of this short paper is to sketch an analytic approach to innovation from the perspective of philosophy of technology. Until now, philosophers have been reluctant to address issues of innovation—even though both innovation research and philosophy of technology share the same object of study: the intersection of science, technology, and society. In this paper I will reveal normative assumptions in innovation research. I identify normativity in four areas: (1) theory of society and innovation, (2) objects of innovation (artifacts, processes, knowledge, problems), (3) process of innovation, and (4) ethics and innovation. This paper presents an outline for a research program and a catalog of questions—and not a net argumentation or final answers. The aim is to attract philosophical interest and to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration between social scientists and philosophers.