This study re-examines the relationship between humans and technology by focusing on the concept of the "Umwelt" (environment) proposed by Jakob von Uexküll (1864–1944)—the unique world experienced by every living organism. In today's digital era, sophisticated information network and autonomous systems have changed the nature of "knowledge." It is no longer just something stored in the human mind but has become an active network that shapes our daily reality and how the world appears to us. This shift forces us to rethink where the human ends and technology begins. To understand this connection, tihs paper analyzes "technique" in Umwelt theory in three stages. First, it explores how nature itself behaves as a principle, building the physical bodies of living things according to an internal plan. Second, it shows that an organism’s world is not just a passive reflection of its surroundings; instead, it is a meaningful "work" created through the constant loop of sensing and acting. Third, the paper explains how human-made tools and machines serve as extensions of our own bodies, expanding our ability to perceive and interact with the world. By linking these stages, the research demonstrates that technology is not merely an external tool we use. Rather, it is deeply integrated into our physical and mental processes. The paper concludes that as technology becomes more advanced, it actively reorganizes our relationship with our environment, constantly transforming what it means to be a human subject in a technological world.
Akane Hayanagi (Sun,) studied this question.