Research On Bertrand Gill’s Thought Of Technical System

In what way technology exists and in what way it evolves and develops has been the focus of the history of technology for a long time.The famous French historian of technology,Bertrand Gill’s,proposed the concept of "Technical System",pointing out that technology needs to be studied from a systematic,holistic perspective,and pay attention to the interaction between technology and its social and human context.Gill’s technological system thinking includes technological evolution,technological innovation,technology transfer,and technological stagnation.Unlike other researchers,"technology" is systemic,in Gill’s view,and it is carried out in a systematic way at both the internal(interaction and mutual support of technical objects)and the external(economic,political,social,etc.)levels.Gill’s concept of technological systems was developed through the work of researchers such as Lehua-Goulan,Gordon Child,and Joseph Needham,and Gill’s analysis of technology in special periods such as the Renaissance,the Enlightenment,and the war,exploring the external factors that affected technological systems.Although Ellul,Hughes and others have also proposed the concept of "technical system",in contrast,Gill’s idea of technical system is more comprehensive and specific,and he not only expounds the systematization within technology from the perspective of technology history,but also extensively reveals the systematization of external links of technology.Gill’s technical system thinking has made his research on the history of technology reveal many previously neglected problems,presenting the "authenticity" of history to a greater extent,presenting a unique narrative method.Gill’s narrative of the history of technology has had an important influence in the Western field of technology history and philosophy of technology,and has been valued by many scholars,including Stigler.From the perspective of technical chronicle,Betterland Gill’s idea of technological systems is obviously innovative in the theory of technological history.