This book uses a philosophy of technology to demonstrate that guns are predisposed for an intentional use, making them inherently non-neutral artifacts. This argument rejects the often-cited value neutral thesis and instrumentalist view that guns dont kill people; people kill people, and instead, explains the lethality of the gun through the lenses of affordance theory, behavioral design, and choice architecture. Ultimately, this book proposes an ethical and value-sensitive model for gun reform, which embodies the perspective of French philosopher Bruno Latour, who said, You are different with a gun in your hand; the gun is different with you holding it.
Alan J. Reid is an Associate Professor of First-Year Writing& Instructional Technologies at Coastal Carolina University where he teaches courses in composition, new media, and graduate writing and research. He is also an Evaluation Analyst in the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University and teaches graduate courses in technology and design for the JHU School of Education.
