God, Golem, and Gadget Worshippers: Meaning of Life in the Digital AgeProf. Dr. Mathias Risse, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

Meaning of life and technology are not often discussed together. But the observation that meaning is concerned with one’s place in the world creates an instant (if perhaps surprising) connection to technology. After all, one main theme in the philosophy of technology is that we always relate to the world in technologically mediated ways. But that also means technology might play the wrong kind of role in what meaning a person’s life has, especially in digital lifeworlds with the dominant role that technology plays there. This talk explores what it means for technology to play this wrong kind of role in our quest for significance, and how to counterbalance it.

About the speaker
Mathias Risse is Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights, Global Affairs and Philosophy and Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. His work primarily addresses questions of global justice ranging from human rights, inequality, taxation, trade and immigration to climate change, obligations to future generations and the future of technology, especially also the impact of artificial intelligence on a range of normative issues.

Public Lecture Series: Taming the Machine