This course focuses on present-day and particularly continental philosophical approaches to technology and science. The course consists of 12 sessions (120mins), with 6 sessions centering around authors (e.g. Heidegger, Simondon, Stiegler), and the other six sessions being more thematic (e.g. Synthetic Cell, AI, Anthropocene). Confirmed lecturers include Prof. Peter-Paul Verbeek; dr. Vincent Blok; Prof. Tamar Sharon; and Prof. Susanna Lindberg. (see below for a full overview)
Students get to know several of the leading perspectives in philosophy of technology, both in terms of main authors and methods, as well as contemporary topics and issues. The course focusses on fundamental philosophical and conceptual issues and questions, thereby aiming to shed light on the assumptions that often implicitly structure the discourses of science and technology today. However, these fundamental issues are discussed in light of contemporary technoscientific developments and associated research by the lecturers. This includes issues like:
– The implications of AI for considerations of (human/non-human/posthuman) intelligence.
– Technology as a planetary phenomenon in the age of the Anthropocene.
– Synthetic cells as a new chapter in the history of the relation between nature and technology.
– The implications of novel techno-scientific developments for philosophical Anthropology.
Aim / objective
To become acquainted with the main contemporary philosophical issues, methods, and questions in continental approaches to technoscience in the 21st century.
Program
Note, this may be subject to (minor) changes
Assessment
Participants are expected to read all the assigned literature, to do assignments and to actively participate in the discussions. Students will complete the course with a final written assignment, where they link their own research to one or more of the discussed topics.
Credit points
This course is a collaboration with the OZSW. Participants can earn an OZSW certificate after successful completion. Please note, however, that the OZSW is not accredited to reward students with credits/ECTS directly. The study load is mentioned on the certificate, which can usually be exchanged for ‘real’ credits (ECTS) at your home university. For more info please see https://www.ozsw.nl/request-certificate/. The study load for this activity is: 5 ECTS.
Costs
– Free for PhD students who are a member of the 4TU Center for Ethics and Technology and/or OZSW and/or another research school in Humanites (LOGOS);
– Free for Research Master students who are a member of the 4TU Center for Ethics and Technology and/or OZSW and/or another research school in Humanities (LOGOS);
All others pay a tuition fee of 300 euros.
Please note that there might be the option to register as a member of the 4TU.Ethics or OZSW which would give you free entrance to this and some other activities. Please check if you are eligible. For the 4TU.Ethics you can check here. For the OZSW you can check here.
Registration/application form
Registration for 2024 is not yet open.
More information
For more information about the contents of the course contact Jochem Zwier.