Most Recent Publication

Yin, W., Mitcham, C., Zhang, Z., & Zhu, Q. (2026). Chen Changshu, Yuan Deyu, and the Northeastern School: Originary contributions to philosophy of technology in China. Ethics and Society. Advance online: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-026-00505-3
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Just as philosophy of technology has distinctive origins in Europe and in the United States, so too in China. Here we aim to give an introductory narrative account of Chinese origins for English language readers, anchored in the lives and thought of Chen Changshu 陈昌曙 and Yuan Deyu 远德玉, two leading influences on what is sometimes been called the “Northeastern School” in the philosophy of technology. A general introduction to this school is developed through a narrative account of Chen’s and Yuan’s interactive lives and work in historical context followed by appreciations of their philosophical achievements, most particularly Chen’s 1999 Jishu zhexue yin lun 技术哲学引论 [Introduction to philosophy of technology] and two Yuan interviews from 2018 and 2022. Our claim is that Chen and Yuan were much earlier paying attention to the empirical experience of engineers than Western counterparts who later started the “empirical turn” movement and that their originary contributions are pertinent for anyone in the West who desires to engage with Chinese thinking about engineering and technology, if not in fact to the placing of Western philosophy of technology in a more global perspective.

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Who We Are

The Laboratory for Normative & Cultural Studies of Emerging Technologies (LANCSET) at Virginia Tech is an open and inclusive community of scholars committed to critically engaging with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing through ethical, cultural, and societal lenses. Our work is grounded in the belief that technologies are not neutral; they are shaped by and, in turn, shape the values, norms, and cultures of the societies in which they are developed and deployed.

​Normative Focus
We examine the ethical shaping and governance of technological development and deployment, investigating how responsibility, human flourishing, ethics literacy, and research security are enacted throughout the lifecycle of emerging technologies.

Cultural Focus
​Our cultural lens explores the values already embedded in technological and professional education systems and the ways their adoption reshapes practices, identities, and meanings. ​

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