On disruptive technological progress and value changes

an interview with Jeroen Hopster on the most appropriate approach, regulation and governance

Abstract

Accelerated technological progress has become a central topic of philosophical reflection today. One of the key points of philosophical debate is the disruptive nature of technological progress. Although the expressions “disruptive technologies” and “technological disruption” have become quite frequent in publications, it is not always clear what this means. In other words, there are significant conceptual and therefore explanatory gaps as to what differentiates an incremental new technology (or technological innovation) from a disruptive one, as to what the domains of this so-called disruption might be, and as to the future implications of these disruptions, considering a decisive factor: the value change. In this interview, I aim to fill these gaps by turning to one of the main exponents of the debate on socially disruptive technologies, Professor Jeroen Hopster (Utrecht University). Going through his publications in some of the most internationally renowned journals, we offer readers a kind of guide to the topic, clarifying it conceptually, explaining its implications and indicating avenues of research around it.