The essence of artifacts is usually characterised by the intentions of their original makers. However, some philosophers have challenged this claim. I will contribute to the debate by introducing two new problems into this common view of artifacts. First, I will explain this common characterisation of the essence of artefacts. Second, I will present the two criticisms with a common denominator: they are undesirable artifact creations. The first controversial creation is about the production of negative entities, and we will explain it using the notion of negative actions. The second controversial creation is about turning human beings into artifacts, and we will show this with different scenarios. So if we accept that the intentional activity of makers is the essence of artifacts, then it would be possible to produce very controversial kinds of artifacts.
Activities > Graduate Research Seminar (GRSem) > Artifacts, Negative Entities, and Objectification
