An Explorative Philosophical Study of Envisaging the Electrical Energy Infrastructure of the Future

The electrical energy infrastructure is one of the key life-sustaining technologies of contemporary Western society. This infrastructure is extremely complex due to its size, its multifarious technologies, and its interweaving with societal structures. Smart grids are important in future infrastruct...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophia reformata
Authors: Verkerk, Maarten J. 1953- (Author) ; Ribeiro, Paulo F. (Author) ; Basden, Andrew 1948- (Author)
Contributors: Hoogland, Jan (Other)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2018
In: Philosophia reformata
Year: 2018, Volume: 83, Issue: 1, Pages: 90-110
IxTheo Classification:CF Christianity and Science
NCG Environmental ethics; Creation ethics
NCJ Ethics of science
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B philosophy of technology normative practice approach electrical infrastructure of the future smart grids complexity enkapsis ideals and basic beliefs sustainability
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:The electrical energy infrastructure is one of the key life-sustaining technologies of contemporary Western society. This infrastructure is extremely complex due to its size, its multifarious technologies, and its interweaving with societal structures. Smart grids are important in future infrastructure, yet extant literature does not adequately address this complexity. This paper argues that different elements of the philosophy of Dooyeweerd offer a key to understanding this intricate complexity more fundamentally. Key concepts are the ideas of normative practices, enkapsis (intertwinement) of practices, individuality structures, and ideals and basic beliefs. By developing these ideas in the context of smart grid engineering, our research contributes to philosophy of technology, philosophy of design, and philosophy of sustainability. It offers an ontological analysis of these infrastructures, pointing a direction to the development of workable infrastructures and supporting the transition to a sustainable society.
ISSN:2352-8230
Contains:In: Philosophia reformata
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/23528230-08301006