Excerpt: The previous chapters have dealt with fundamental questions of what it means to exist as a human being, capable of thought and language. Our discourse concerning these questions grew out of seeing their direct relevance to our understanding of computers and the possibilities for the design of new computer technology. We do not have the pretension of creating a grand philosophical synthesis in which Maturana, Heidegger, Gadamer, Austin, Searle, and others all find a niche. The importance of their work lies in its potential for unconcealing the rationalistic tradition in which we are already immersed. Their unity lies in the elements of the tradition that they challenge, and thereby reveal. As background to our study of computers and programming in Part II, this section summarizes the concerns raised in previous chapters, pointing out their areas of overlap and the role they play in our detailed examination of computer technology and design.