PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY: FROM HEIDEGGER TO NEURAL NETWORKS (PH-4720)
(09/07/2021-12/17/2021)
Course Memo
This course is co-taught by Justin Gable and Austin Ramelow. Philosophy of Technology is an emerging new field and of special importance in the contemporary world: artificial intelligence and machine learning raise questions about the status of computers (are they conscious, intelligent, persons?) and ethical questions around the dangers of algorithms in criminal justice, public surveillance and other fields. Algorithms fragment the social sphere, machines blend with human beings (cyborgs), promises are made by transhumanist theories and takeovers of a “singularity” predicted. This seminar will investigate the underlying philosophical assumptions with the help of philosophers like M. Heidegger, A. Turing, Hubert Dreyfus, Hans Jonas, Andrew Feenberg, Albert Borgmann, Val Dusek, Don Ihde, Sherry Turkle, Jaron Lanier, Peter-Paul Verbeek and others.
The format of the class is a seminar; attendance and participation in the discussion is important. Research Paper. (MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD/ThD) [20 max enrollment]