Nihilism and Information Technology

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, philosophy of science and technology, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies,Tehran, Iran

2 Professor of Philosophy, The Islamic College (affiliated with Middlesex University), London, UK; Adjunct Professor, National Research Institute for Science Policy. Tehran. Iran

Abstract

Søren Kierkegaard, in his essay "The Present Age," takes a hostile stance towards the press. This is because he maintains that the press prepares the ground for the emergence of nihilism. Hubert Dreyfus extends this idea to other information technologies, especially the Internet. Since Kierkegaard-Dreyfus’ attitude towards various forms of information technology originates from philosophical anthropology and a particular conception of the meaning of life, assessing the viability of the attitude they hold requires further critical scrutiny. This paper aims to show that, although, Kierkegaard’s and Dreyfus' insights are important in understanding the dangers of information technology their approach concerning the meaning of life and human identity is a one-sided analysis of the problem situation; In particular, their reliance on "Unconditional Commitment" could bring about new undesired consequences. This paper emphasizes that an appropriate stance towards information technology needs, among other things, a richer and more effective philosophical anthropology; one that by utilizing religious-moral wisdom in a sensible manner, provides an effective way to safely benefit from various types of technology without falling into the abyss of nihilism. The paper further argues that we also need to provide an institutional control of technology through piecemeal social engineering in a democratic process.
 
 

Keywords

References

Agassi, J. (1989). Technology Transfer to Poor Nations. In E. F. Byrne, & J. Pitt, Technological Transformation: Contextual and Conceptual Implications (pp. 277-284). Dordrechti Boston I London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Agassi, J. (2005). Technology social and Philosophical Aspect. Dordrecht, Boston/Lancaster: D. Reidel.
Anderson, S. L. (1398 AP). On Kierkegaard. Translated into Persian as: Falsafe-i Kierkegaard (Kierkegaard’s philosophy), by Khoshayar Deihimi. Tehran: Farhang-i Nashr-i No.
Asghari, M. (1389 AP). Kierkegaard’s Abraham and Levinas’s Abraham. Philosophy of Religion Research (Namah-i Hikmat), 8 (2), 51-74.
Bartley, W. W. (1964). Rationality versus the Theory of Rationality. In M. Bunge, The Critical Approach to Science and Philosophy. London, New York: The Free Press of Glencoe.
Boyer, A. (1395 AP). Is an Open Society a Just Society? Trans. by Paya.  Aein, 13-14(1), 41–54.
Carlyle, C. (1397 AP). Kierkegaard. (Trans. M. Haji Beglou). Tehran: Ilmi va Fahangi Publications.
Dreyfus, H. (1383 AP). On the Internet. Translated into Persian as: Negahi Falsafi be Internet (a philosophical look at the internet), by A. Malaike. Tehran: Gam-i No.
Dreyfus, H. L. (1990). Being-in-the-World A Commentary on Heidegger's Being and Time. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Dreyfus, H. L. (2001). On the Internet. New York: Routledge.
Kant, I. (1372 AP). Réflexions sur l'éducation. Translated into Persian as: Ta‘lim va Tarbiyat: Andishe-ha-i darbare-i Amoozesh va Parvaresh (education and training: thoughts about teaching and nurture), by G. Shokouhi. Tehran: University of Tehran Press.
Kant, I. (1380 AP). Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone. Translated into Persian as: Din dar Mahdude-i Aql-i Tanha, by Sanei Darrebidi. Tehran: Naqsh va Negar.
Kant, I. (1390 AP). Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Purpose. Translated into Persian as: Rushd-i Aql: Ma‘na-i Tarikh-i Kulli dar Ghayat-i Jahan-i Watani (the growth of intellect: the meaning of universal history with a cosmopolitan purpose), by Sanei Darrebidi. Tehran: Naqsh va Negar.
Kant, I. (1996). Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason. In I. Kant, Religion and Rational Theology. (W. Wood, & G. diGiovanni, Trans.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kant, I. (2007). On Education. In G. Zoller, & R. B. Louden (Eds.). The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant: Antropology, History, and Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kierkegaard, S. (1958). Edifying Discourses. (P. L. Holmer, Ed.) New York: Harper Torchbooks.
Kierkegaard, S. (1959). Either/or (Vol. II). Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Kierkegaard, S. (1967). Søren Kierkegaard's Journals and Papers (Vol. 2). H. V. Hong (Ed.). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Kierkegaard, S. (1980a). Concept of Anxiety (Vols. Kierkegaard's Writings, Vol. 8). (R. Thomte, & A. B. Anderson, Trans.) Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Kirekegaard, S. (1980b). The Sickness Unto Death (Vols. Kierkegaard's Writings, V.19). (H. V. Hong, & E. H. Hong, Trans.) Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Kirerkegaard, S. (1962). The Present Age. New York: Harper & Row.
Kranzberg, M. (1986). Technology and History: ‘Kranzberg's Laws’. Technology and Culture, 27 (3), 544-560.
Miller, D. (1994). Critical Rationalism. Open Court.
Miller, D. (2007). Overcoming the Justificationist Addiction. Translated into Persian as: Ghalabe bar E‘tiyad be Mowj Sazi, by Ali Paya. Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 1 (1), 1-16.
Paya, A. (1387 AP).  Fanavari, Farhang, va Akhlagh (Technology, Culture and Ethics). Research Center for Culture, Art and Communications.
Paya, A. (1396 AP/2017). Gereh Goshaii be Shive-i Filsufan va Mohandesan (Problem-solving in Accordance with the Approaches of Philosophers and Engineers: Essays Concerning Science, Technology and Science Policy). Tehran: Institute for Social and Cultural Studies.
Paya, A. (1398 AP/2019). Darbare-i Usul-i Aam-i Adalat va Akhlaq: Tahlili az Manzar-i Aqlaniyat-i Naqqad (on universal principles of justice and morals: an analysis based on critical reasoning). In Hakim-i Parsa: Yademan-i Ustad Hujjatul Islam wal Muslimeen Doctor Ahmad Ahmadi (an event commemorating Hojjatul Islam wal Muslimeen Dr. Ahmad Ahmadi). Tehran: Samt Publications.
Paya, A. (2016). Analytic Philosophy from the Perspective of Critical Rationalism. Tehran: Tarh-i Naqd.
Paya, A. (2019). Justice and Ethics as Totipotent Emergent Properties: A Critical Rationalist Perspective. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference on Shi‘i Studies, 4. London: ICAS Press.
Paya, A; Mansouri, A. (2019). Science and Technology: Differences, Interactions, and Implications. Philosophy of Science, 8 (16), 105-134.
Popper, K. (1364 AP). The Open Society and Its Enemies. Translated into Persian as: Jami‘e-i Baz va Dushmanane Aan, by I. Fouladmand). Tehran: Khwarazmi.
Popper, K. (1383 AP). The Lesson of this Century. Translated into Persian as: Dars-i een Qarn, by A. Paya. Tehran: Tarh-i No.
Popper, K. (1383 AP). The Myth of the Framework: In Defence of Science and Rationality. Translated into Persian as: Usture-i Charchub (the myth of the framework), by Ali Paya. Tehran: Tarh-i No.
Popper, K. (1957). The Poverty of Historicism. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Popper, K. (1963/2001). Conjectures and Refutations. Routledge.
Popper, K. (1966). The Open Society and Its Enemies: The Spell of Plato. London: Routledge.
Popper. (1985). Self and Its Brain. Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Rumi. (1990). Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi. (Trans. by Reynold Nicholson). Tehran: Hermes.
Sanei Darrebidi, M. (1394 AP). Jayegah-i Insan dar Andishe-i Kant (man’s status in Kant’s thought). Qoqnus.
Shokr, A. (1394 AP). Naqd-i Nasazegari-i Aql va Iman dar Andishe-i Kierkegaard (a critique of the conflict between rationality and faith in Kierkegaard’s thought). Maarefe Aqli, 30, 125-144.
Soroush, A.(1373 AP). Hekmat va Ma’ishat (wisdom and livelihood). Tehran: Serat
Sullivan, R. J. (1380 AP). An Introduction to Kant’s Ethics. Translated into Persian as: Akhlaq dar Falsafe-i Kant (ethics in Kant’s philosophy), by I. Fouladmand. Tehran: Ney Publications.
Wittgenstein, L. (1980). Culture and Value. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
 
Send comment about this article
CAPTCHA Image

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics