Wednesday, 7 December 2022
12pm CET / 7pm HKT
Online event: Register to join via Zoom
The Research Network for Philosophy and Technology presents:
Online book presentation of The Technical Condition.The Entanglement of Technology, Culture, and Society by Tsalling Swierstra, Pieter Lemmens, Tamar Sharon & Pieter Vermaas (eds.) (Boom 2022)
Program (time in CET format)
12.00h – 12.05h: introduction by dr. Pieter Lemmens
12.05h – 12.50h: presentation of the book by prof. dr. Tsjalling Swierstra
12.50h – 13.05h: response by dr. Steven Dorrestijn
13.05h – 13.20h: response by dr. Federica Lucivero
13.20h – 14.00h: questions and plenary discussion
Affiliations of presenters
Prof. dr. Tsjalling Swierstra, Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Maastricht University, the Netherlands
Dr. Pieter Lemmens, Radboud University Nijmegen, Centre for Science in Society at the Faculty of Science
Dr. Steven Dorrestijn, Saxion Hogeschool, Enschede, the Netherlands
Dr. Federica Lucivero, Ethox Centre, Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford, UK
Description of the book
Technology has become an integral part of our lives, permeating virtually every dimension of our cultural, social and natural worlds. The Technical Condition, an accessible introduction to contemporary philosophy of technology, takes this entanglement of technology, culture and society as the starting point for philosophical and normative reflection. Is biotechnology forcing us to rethink fundamental concepts such as the natural and the artificial? How will governance by algorithms reshape our politics? Are we adapting our home environments to fit our smart appliances and voice assistants? Will a technology-driven Anthropocene presage the end of humanity? How can we evaluate new technologies if technology is also influencing our moral sense? Understanding these entanglements will help us to steer them in beneficial directions.
The Technical Condition convincingly demonstrates how technology, culture, and society affect each other in countless and unexpected ways, providing an impetus for philosophical reflection on one of the most important themes of our times. As such, it will appeal to students in the humanities, social sciences and engineering sciences.
