In classical philosophy, technē (τέχνη) refers to a form of practical knowledge an art, craft, or skill rooted in knowing how to bring something into being. Unlike abstract theoretical knowledge (epistēmē), which is concerned with eternal truths, technē is oriented toward creation and transformation. For the Greeks, a sculptor shaping marble or a physician guiding the body toward health both exercised technē: a knowing-how that combines rational principles with embodied practice. Plato often contrasted technē with mere habit or guesswork, while Aristotle saw it as a middle ground between theoretical science and raw experience, a disciplined craft that bridges thought and action.

This ancient notion resonates strongly with our contemporary idea of technology , a word whose very root (techne + logos) literally means “discourse on craft.” Technology is more than just tools; it embodies accumulated methods of knowing how to do things whether programming a computer, designing an algorithm, or engineering a machine. When we describe technology as applied science, we often overlook that it also inherits from technē an aesthetic and ethical dimension: it is about creating forms in the world, not just solving problems.

Seen through this lens, technology today can be understood not only as material devices but as an extension of technē the human capacity to shape reality through knowledge and skill. This framing highlights both its promise and its danger: the same practical mastery that can produce medicine and art can also yield systems of control or destruction. To recover the full meaning of technē is to remember that technology is always entwined with values, creativity, and the ways we imagine what it means to live well.