Planetary Technology
Chairs: Vincent Blok and Jochem Zwier
Goal: To examine how philosophy of technology should respond to the end of the world in the Anthropocene.
Format: Seminar series
Period: September 2022 – December 2023
Description
Context and aims
The advent of the Anthropocene compels philosophical attention to nothing other than the end of the world. While several contemporary authors respond by dismissing the notion of world altogether, others summon philosophy to the task of thinking the creation of the world anew. Whilst arguably relevant to all thought, such motives specifically entreat philosophy of technology. Not only is the Anthropocene a profoundly technological or techno-scientific phenomenon, but philosophy of technology generally concerns the relation between technology and world, whether this relation is understood in terms of mediation and world-shaping, techno-geographic milieus, networks of (non)-humans, things and agencies, or otherwise. This seminar series accordingly aims to examine how philosophy of technology should respond to the end of the world in the Anthropocene and consider the planetary dimension of technology accordingly.
Seminar Series
We invite in total twelve philosophers of technology and environmental philosophers to present their thoughts on the planetary dimension of technology. We ask for fundamental reflections pertaining to the technological world on an increasingly inhospitable Earth. Questions to be addressed may include:
-What does the notion of world mean traditionally, philosophically, and how does this compare to contemporary voices that reject or revise this notion?
-What is the status of Earth and World in the Anthropocene?
-How to understand the relation between(planetary)technology, World, and Earth
-How does technology figure in earth-system science and related disciplines?
-(How) does the notion of “milieu”address questions of technics, world, Earth, and Anthropocene?
-How to understand the relation between technological progress and ecological regress?
-What does a redistribution of voices and agency entail with respect to the world-ending, Earth-shaping, and world-building capacities of humans and non-humans?
We organize 12 online sessions on a bi-monthly basis,where we invite one speaker to present a paper (30 mins), followed by a discussion(60 mins). We ask the speakers to commit themselves to also visit the other meetings and engage in the discussion. All SPT members and other interested professional philosophers are welcome. After the seminar series ends,speakers are invited to contribute to a Special Issue for the journal Techne: Research in Philosophy and Technology or related philosophy of technology journal.