Decolonizing Philosophy of Technology: Learning from Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches to Decolonial Technical Design

Author: Cristiano Codeiro Cruz

Decolonizing Philosophy of Technology: Learning from Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches to Decolonial Technical Design examines how technical design either maintains or overcomes colonial power structures. Published in Philosophy & Technology journal in November 2021, this academic article by Cristiano Codeiro Cruz presents two main approaches to decolonizing technology and design. Top-down approaches (proposed by scholars Yuk Hui and Ahmed Ansari) start from philosophy and theory, revisiting different histories and philosophies of technology to decolonize the minds of philosophers and designers as a precondition for decolonial designs. Bottom-up approaches start from empirical technical design practices developed alongside marginalized communities, intending to co-construct decolonial sociotechnical solutions through committed dialog of knowledge.