PHL 257 - Philosophy and Technology (4)

This course will investigate the nature of technology and the implications of its social effects, including the immense transformation being brought about by contemporary innovations such as artificial intelligence. What human society is and what it will someday become is decided as much by the nature of our tools as it is by the decisions of politicians. The purpose of this course is to explore this technological side of our history. Our inquiry will be guided by perspectives on technology drawn from traditional philosophical sources as well as from more recent writings on topics such as the future of work, the nature of data, the implications of synthetic biology, and the widespread use of surveillance technologies. Prerequisite: either sophomore standing, one course in philosophy, or permission of the instructor.