The “Reconsideration Approach” to Technical Governance: a Study in China’s Context and the Post-Pandemic Era

Technical governance refers to governing activities in which scientific and technological advances are systematically applied for a more efficient functioning of society, especially in the political and economic spheres. Technical governance models are shaped by the cultural, political and social aspects of regions and countries. The national response to COVID-19 has highlighted differences between these models. For China, the theory of technical governance was of great importance in the modernization of society. It is a specific field of study in contemporary China and part of the philosophy of technology. This paper presents a way to rethink the contradictions between scientism and anti-scientism. Scientism claims that scientific and technological progress has reasonable foundations and strengthens the position of science. Anti-scientism criticizes science and technology and sees them as a threat to the modern world. The so-called “reconsideration approach” is not about finding a compromise, but about critically integrating these opposing views in order to build a theory of technical governance. Reconsideration approach is a deliberative, historical and concrete scientific study. In this context, the word “deliberative” means a multilateral view when addressing issues of science and technology policy. The term “historical” rejects the only true definition of technology and indicates that it changes over time. The word “specific” refers to an assessment of technical issues that should be considered in a specific context, taking into account differences between countries, regions, groups and participants. Through the reconsideration approach, technical governance can respond to the challenges created by emerging technologies. A good technology governance model should not only describe the mechanism for integrating new technologies into society but also correctly combine human and technical factors, taking into account the national context of the country. Thus, the reconsideration approach for technical governance is a dynamic theory that responds to new technological challenges.