The philosophy of the digital age

Published On Thu 26 Mar 2015 by Grant Hill

Is the Internet one or many things and is the advent of the ‘Information Age’ something to be welcomed or feared? These are some of the questions that will be asked at an event at the University of Dundee examining the role of philosophy in helping us to understand our digital lives.

‘Digital Subject UK’ takes place at the Dalhousie Building on Wednesday, 1st April. The event is a collaborative initiative between the Scottish Centre for Continental Philosophy at Dundee, and the 'Sujet Digital' research network centred on the University of Paris VIII.

The intensive one-day workshop will ask whether digital concepts are enabling or disabling for contemporary life and what role philosophy can play in thinking about information and communication technologies. It is the inaugural event in a project seeking to build an interdisciplinary research network to examine issues identified at the workshop.

Organiser Dr Dominic Smith said, “We’re really excited to have the ‘Digital Subject’ workshop coming to Dundee. The Philosophy programme is currently building a research focus centred on issues raised by new technologies, and this workshop will be a chance for staff and students, as well as national and international guests, to work together on related ideas.

“We’ll be discussing how concepts of ‘the network’ and ‘feedback’ change everyday speech, how the Internet affects action and choice, and how databases affect our experience of memory and history. Our aim is to bring together voices from diverse disciplines such as philosophy, cultural, literary and media studies, and contemporary art practice to inaugurate a research network, capable of building upon and widening the established successes of our colleagues in Paris.”

The workshop will take place at the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill from 10am-6pm on Wednesday, 1st April.

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