This paper aims to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of Adorno’s thought for business ethicists working in the critical tradition by showing how his critique of modern social life anticipated, and offers continuing illumination of, recent technological transformations of capitalism. It develops and extrapolates Adorno’s thought regarding three central spheres of modern society, which have seen radical changes in light of recent technological developments: work, in which employee monitoring has become ever more sophisticated and intrusive; leisure consumption, in which the (...) algorithmic developments of the culture industry have paved the way for entertainment products to dominate us; and political discourse, in which social media has exacerbated the anti-democratic tendencies Adorno warned of in the mid-twentieth century. We conclude by presenting, as a rejoinder to these developments, the contours of an Adornian ethics of resistance to the reification and dehumanisation of such developments. (shrink)

The capitalist system has undergone several transformations (mutations in the language of Karl Marx) during the last centuries. This article examines the main characteristics of the three great revolutions of capitalism: industrial, financial and digital. Each revolution is analyzed with the main paradigms that seek to explain these different mutations of capitalism. In the last part of the article the emphasis is placed on the consequences of the Digital Revolution and the GEN-AI on the economic theories (...) taught for decades by economists. (shrink)

The technological revolution and appropriation of internet tools began to reshape the material basis of society and the urban space in collaborative, grassroots, leaderless, and participatory actions. The protest squares’ representation on Television screens and mainstream media has been broad. Various health, governmental, societal, and urban challenges have marked the advent of the Covid-19 virus. Inequalities have become more salient as poor people and minorities are more affected by the virus. Social distancing makes the typical forms of protest impossible to (...) carry out. Under social distancing, some state-led policies took advantage of social media to focus on the Covid-19 pandemic to silence social and political activities, censor criticism, and control the press. However, during the pandemic era, the movements for social justice have been particularly active, focusing on defending workers’ rights, mutual aid and solidarity, monitoring policymakers, and popular education. These progressive movements combined concrete practices and experiences to confront the reactionary, capitalist, and governmental actors that sought to shape and envision the world. Through different case studies of protest movements during the pandemic in Europe, the UK, and Asia, this paper argues that at the time of rising racial, social, and economic inequalities, the social activities adapted to the circumstances determined by the social distancing and the impossibility of people gathering in physical spaces. Subsequently, the people in different countries had various individual and collective responses to the support of health workers, systemic inequalities, loss of jobs, and other societal and financial challenges imposed by the governments. It means that, rather than disappearing, the social movements have adapted to the unexpected situations during the pandemic outbreak. The pandemic broke the new digital global wave of protests in this sense. (shrink)

The information regime is mediated by the culture of the electronic device. It is characterized by the control of the deluded citizen through the deployment of freedom, thereby nullifying the core issue of human life: freedom. Through phenomenological-hermeneutic methodology (Heidegger, 2002), this work starts from the world of digital life to direct the interpretation towards digital governance, all of which appears as a hermeneutic horizon the information regime. It is concluded that in this new social order the political (...) and all other orders that arise from interaction are governed by a capitalism of emotions. (shrink)

This book is a personal answer to the crisis of the left. The author of this text belongs to a generation habituated to live with global explanations. During our youth, the future of the world was the future of democracy and socialism. We belong to a generation of “leftist” that found in Marx and Freud, phenomenology and structuralism the most important answers that made sense of the everyday world. However, the developments of events during the last sixty years showed that (...) our confidence was ungrounded. The depreciation of the theoretical thought accelerated in direct proportion to the development of technologies, and among them the impact of the digital developments was devastating. One of the most notable consequences of the digitalization of culture was the depreciation of the Marxian thought, but also the less recognized depreciation of all kinds of political-economic thought. The collapse of the world created before the Second World War open for the end of the “grand narratives” and the enthronization of Postmodernism. The production of fragmentary explanations took over the historical perspective with an important influence on social and economic thought. After 60 years of postmodern thinking, we believe that the time of Postmodernism is over. Politicians and economists over the world cannot continue to produce results in small packages. The whole picture must be restituted. Of course it must be done incorporating the lessons of the past to avoid to make the same mistakes. Postmodernism has left behind lots of scattered modernist philosophical remnants. It left a chessboard with only few pieces to work with, and in this allegory, only as references. The philosophical schools remains, but the study of them is strictly for an education in the history of ideas. The situation is aggravating since the most important works from the 1960’s and forth, (post-structuralists) deliberately have avoided obvious identity patterns. A word in Rio de la Plata’s jargon language describes this situation, cambalache, a sort of “flea market” where everything lies higgledy-piggledy. Deconstruction and the focus on differences are vital to Postmodernism. Remaining is therefore the intersections, the contrasts, shadows, and sketches. When trying to orient in such an intellectual environment, the task reminds of patching scatterings, and building with tools of eclecticism. However, we believe that is time to reconstruct instead of deconstruct, moving back to Modernism that we will describe as Cyborgism. (shrink)

Is Overpopulation Necessary for Capitalism? -/- Introduction -/- The relationship between population growth and capitalism has been a subject of debate for centuries. Some argue that a large population is necessary for a thriving capitalist system, as it provides labor and fuels consumer demand. Others believe that excessive population growth leads to economic and environmental problems, making it an unsustainable approach. Even in a world with vast natural resources, as it was thousands of years ago, overpopulation is not (...) a necessity for capitalism. Instead, a balanced population, technological advancement, and sustainable policies offer a more stable foundation for economic prosperity. -/- Capitalism and Population Growth -/- Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership, market competition, and the pursuit of profit. Historically, population growth played a crucial role in early capitalist economies by: -/- 1. Providing Cheap Labor – Industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries relied on a large workforce willing to work for low wages. -/- 2. Expanding Consumer Markets – More people meant higher demand for goods and services, driving production and economic growth. -/- 3. Encouraging Urbanization – Population increases fueled the growth of cities, creating hubs of economic activity. -/- However, the conditions that made population growth beneficial in the past are not the same today. The rise of technology, automation, and environmental concerns have changed the dynamics of modern capitalism. -/- The Myth That Overpopulation is Necessary -/- 1. Resource Overconsumption and Environmental Limits -/- Even if a country has vast natural resources, overpopulation accelerates their depletion. Unlike thousands of years ago, today’s industrial and technological advancements consume resources at an unprecedented rate. Excessive population growth leads to deforestation, water shortages, pollution, and climate change, ultimately harming the very foundation of economic stability. Capitalism depends on resources, but without sustainability, long-term growth becomes impossible. -/- 2. Poverty, Inequality, and Job Competition -/- A growing population does not guarantee economic prosperity. In fact, it can lead to: -/- Lower Wages – More workers competing for limited jobs drive down wages, worsening income inequality. -/- Higher Unemployment – Many economies cannot create jobs fast enough to keep up with population growth, leading to widespread unemployment and social unrest. -/- Increased Cost of Living – Overpopulation in cities leads to housing shortages, inflated prices, and lower living standards. -/- In contrast, countries with stable or declining populations, like Japan and Germany, continue to maintain strong economies by focusing on productivity, technology, and efficient resource management. -/- 3. Technological Advancement Reduces the Need for a Large Workforce -/- The argument that capitalism requires a large workforce is becoming outdated due to: -/- Automation and AI – Machines and artificial intelligence can now perform many tasks that once required human labor, reducing the need for an excessive population. -/- Knowledge-Based Economies – Modern capitalism thrives on innovation, education, and high-skilled labor rather than sheer workforce size. -/- Remote Work and Globalization – Digital economies allow companies to access talent worldwide, reducing dependence on a single country’s population. -/- This shift shows that a well-educated, productive workforce is more valuable than a large, unskilled population. -/- 4. Capitalism Can Function with Population Stability -/- The strongest economies today do not rely on uncontrolled population growth. Instead, they prioritize: -/- Sustainable Development – Countries invest in renewable energy, smart infrastructure, and responsible resource management. -/- Quality Over Quantity – A smaller but highly skilled workforce is more beneficial than an overcrowded, low-wage labor force. -/- Technological Innovation – Capitalism thrives when businesses focus on efficiency, automation, and innovation rather than sheer market size. -/- A balanced Approach to Population and Capitalism -/- Rather than overpopulation, capitalism benefits from a balanced population that aligns with: -/- Natural Resources – Preventing depletion ensures long-term economic sustainability. -/- Economic Capacity – Governments can provide better education, healthcare, and infrastructure for a stable society. -/- Technological Advancements – Efficiency and productivity matter more than just increasing the number of workers or consumers. -/- Governments and businesses should focus on: -/- 1. Education and Skill Development – Investing in human capital is more important than expanding the population. -/- 2. Sustainable Economic Models – Transitioning to green energy, circular economies, and digital industries ensures long-term prosperity. -/- 3. Responsible Population Policies – Encouraging balanced growth rather than unchecked expansion prevents economic and environmental collapse. -/- Conclusion -/- Overpopulation is not a necessity for capitalism, even in resource-rich countries. While population growth once played a key role in economic expansion, modern economies benefit more from a skilled workforce, technological progress, and sustainable resource management. A balanced population ensures economic stability, environmental protection, and a higher quality of life for all. The future of capitalism does not depend on sheer numbers but on how effectively resources, technology, and human potential are managed. -/- . (shrink)

ABSTRACT: Abilify MyCite was granted regulatory approval in 2017, becoming the world’s first “smart pill” that could digitally track whether patients had taken their medication. The new technology was introduced as one that had gained the support of patients and ethicists alike, and could contribute to solving the widespread and costly problem of patient nonadherence. Here, we offer an in-depth exploration of this narrative, through an examination of the origins and development of Abilify, the drug that would later become MyCite. (...) This history illuminates how an antipsychotic can become a top-selling drug and maintain its blockbuster status for more than a decade. It also provides a detailed case study for how knowledge is constructed within the logic of biomedical capitalism, providing impetus to reexamine claims regarding how MyCite addresses patient nonadherence, engenders patient support, and is ethicist-approved. (shrink)

Western, secularized capitalism appraises the “worth” of a worker through a wage, a numerical value assumed to reflect the value of one’s time (in the case of hourly jobs) or contribution (in the case of salary or commision-based work). Computers and AI models are capable of matching and even exceeding human performance on a variety of tasks such as mathematical computation, handwritten digit recognition, and even complex tasks such as playing the game Go. Furthermore, they can work around the (...) clock with no need for sleep, healthcare, or even a salary. As a result, computers are more “valuable” than humans under capitalism because they are more productive (in terms of quantity and, in many cases, quality of work). Combined with an erosion of the religious idea of explicit human worth or dignity, other humans are seen as mere means to the ends of those powerful enough to exploit them. Any hope of reducing inequality or promoting justice must come from an explicit belief in the “value” of human life independent of his or her ability to produce. (shrink)

The processes of computation and automation that produce digitized objects have displaced the concept of an image once conceived through optical devices such as a photographic plate or a camera mirror that were invented to accommodate the human eye. Computational images exist as information within networks mediated by machines. They are increasingly less about what art history understands as representation or photography considers indexing and more an operational product of data processing. Through genealogical, theoretical, and practice-based investigation, this dissertation project (...) traces a lineage of computation through images from early cybernetics to contemporary machine learning under algorithmic capitalist conditions of political economy. Objects include mundane examples such as smartphone cameras to sublime examples such as the imaging of black holes. It articulates new conditions and forms of perception and surveillance that result from contemporary technological development in computation. The project builds on theorists of computational media such as Friedrich Kittler, Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, Jussi Parikka, Shane Denson, and Alexander Galloway to examine the interplay between perception, computation, and epistemology. Further theoretical contribution builds on the work of Luciana Parisi and Jacques Ranciére’s articulation of aesthetics, and Michel Foucault’s gesture towards a heterotopia. Finally, it draws from Donna Haraway’s metaphors of the cyborg and sympoiesis to frame the capacity of art to transfigure the limitations of digital network culture into new possibilities for being. Here, it curates practices by Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Harun Farocki, Morehshin Allahyari, and Pierre Huyghe. (shrink)

Despite the seemingly neutral vantage of using nature for widely-distributed computational purposes, neither post-biological nor post-humanist teleology simply concludes with the real "end of nature" as entailed in the loss of the specific ontological status embedded in the identifier "natural." As evinced by the ecological crises of the Anthropocene—of which the 2019 Brazil Amazon rainforest fires are only the most recent—our epoch has transfixed the “natural order" and imposed entropic artificial integration, producing living species that become “anoetic,” made to serve (...) as automated exosomatic residues, or digital flecks. I further develop Gilles Deleuze’s description of control societies to upturn Foucauldian biopower, replacing its spacio-temporal bounds with the exographic excesses in psycho-power; culling and further detailing Bernard Stiegler’s framework of transindividuation and hyper-control, I examine how becoming-subject is predictively facilitated within cognitive capitalism and what Alexander Galloway terms “deep digitality.” Despite the loss of material vestiges qua virtualization—which I seek to trace in an historical review of industrialization to postindustrialization—the drive-based and reticulated "internet of things" facilitates a closed loop from within the brain to the outside environment, such that the aperture of thought is mediated and compressed. The human brain, understood through its material constitution, is susceptible to total datafication’s laminated process of “becoming-mnemotechnical,” and, as neuroplasticity is now a valid description for deep-learning and neural nets, we are privy to the rebirth of the once-discounted metaphor of the “cybernetic brain.” Probing algorithmic governmentality while posing noetic dreaming as both technical and pharmacological, I seek to analyze how spirit is blithely confounded with machine-thinking’s gelatinous cognition, as prosthetic organ-adaptation becomes probabilistically molded, networked, and agentially inflected (rather than simply externalized). (shrink)

Following media-theoretical studies that have characterized digitization as a process of all-encompassing cybernetization, this paper will examine the timely and critical potential of Günther Anders’s oeuvre vis-à-vis the ever-increasing power of cybernetic devices and networks. Anders has witnessed and negotiated the process of cybernetization from its very beginning, having criticized its tendency to automate and expand, as well as its circular logic and ‘integral power’, including disruptive consequences for the constitution of the political and the social. In this vein, Anders’s (...) works, particularly his magnum opus Die Antiquiertheit des Menschen [The Obsolescence of Man], sheds new light on the technologically organized milieus of the contemporary digital regime and also highlights a new form of cybernetic ‘conformism’. The goal of the essay is therefore, not only to emphasize the contemporary nature of Anders’s thought but also to use it to frame a critique of current neo-technocratic and, ultimately, post-political concepts, such as ‘algorithmic regulation’, ‘smart states’, ‘direct technocracy’, and ‘government as platform’. This essay argues that cybernetic capitalism is causing what Anders terms ‘ Unfestgelegtheit’ to disappear; that is, we are losing the originary possibility of technologically (re-)structuring our world in alternative ways, particularly given the determinist character of current technologies. (shrink)

To speak about revolution, either as an event or as a concept, must appear presumptuous at a moment when racial discrimination, fascist politics, and the totalitarian war against women and minorities are amplified by a market economy based on systemic division. In the digital present, the systematization of division is magnified by newly algorithmic structures of machinic capitalism. In that context, the more the intellect aims to grasp the depth of revolutionary actions, the less the latter seem to (...) make sense. In other words, both the failure and the promise of revolution have created a modern paradigm to address the political struggles of our times, one that is cyclically repeating itself to challenge the limits of humankind. And yet, one can always find reasons to interrogate the symptoms of revolutionary tragedies that proliferate against a background of intellectual numbness. (shrink)

Towards a Critical Theory of Digitality: Günther Anders in the Age of Platform Capitalism and Smart Technocracies -/- Diversos estudios teóricos sobre los medios de comunicación han caracterizado recientemente la cuarta revolución industrial como un proceso de tecnificación y cibernetización omniabarcante. En este contexto, este artículo pretende mos-trar el potencial pertinente y crítico de la obra magna de Günther Anders La obsolescencia del hombre frente al poder cada vez mayor de los dispositivos y las redes cibernéticas. Anders ha sido (...) testigo y ha gestionado el proceso de ciber-netización desde sus inicios, y ha criticado no sólo su tendencia a la automa-tización y a la expansión, sino también la lógica circular y el “poder integral” en el que se basa, incluidas las consecuencias destructivas para la constitución de lo político y lo social. En este sentido, la obra de Anders puede arrojar nueva luz sobre los medios organizados tecnológicamente del régimen digital contem-poráneo. El objetivo del ensayo es, por tanto, no sólo enfatizar la contempora-neidad del pensamiento crítico de Anders y destacar su avanzada comprensión de la tecnología en comparación con los representantes de la teoría crítica tem-prana, sino también utilizarlo para enmarcar una crítica frente a los conceptos neotecnocráticos actuales y, en última instancia, postpolíticos, como la “regula-ción algorítmica”, los “estados inteligentes”, la “tecnocracia directa” y el “gobier-no como plataforma”. Por último, el ensayo pretende abordar, a través de la lente de Anders, la cuestión de la posición y el papel del crítico en relación con los entornos técnicos en constante expansión. Palabras clave: Günther Anders, cibernética, teoría crítica, tecnopolítica, tec-nocracia, digitalización, post-política, crítica a la tecnología. (shrink)

From a socio-theoretical and media-theoretical perspective, this article analyses exemplary practices and structural characteristics of contemporary digital political campaigning to illustrate a transformation of the public sphere through the platform economy. The article first examines Cambridge Analytica and reconstructs its operational procedure, which, far from involving exceptionally new digital campaign practices, turns out to be quite standard. It then evaluates the role of Facebook as an enabling ‘affective infrastructure’, technologically orchestrating processes of political opinion-formation. Of special concern are (...) various tactics of ‘feedback propaganda’ and algorithmic-based user engagement that reflect, at a more theoretical level, the merging of surveillance-capitalist commercialization with a cybernetic logic of communication. The article proposes that this techno-economic dynamic reflects a continuation of the structural transformation of the public sphere. What Jürgen Habermas had analysed in terms of an economic fabrication of the public sphere in the 1960s is now advancing in a more radical form, and on a more programmatic basis, through the algorithmic architecture of social media. As the authors argue, this process will eventually lead to a new form of ‘infrastructural power’. (shrink)

Ziel des Beitrages ist die differenzierende Beschreibung des Projekts Cybersyn sowie die anschließende kritische Perspektivierung ausgewählter neokybernetischer Governance-Konzepte, die in den letzten Jahren verstärkt im Policy-Kontext diskutiert wurden. Die „Entscheidungsmaschine“ Stafford Beers, die der Management-Kybernetiker unter Salvador Allende in den frühen Siebzigern konzipierte, wird zumeist als Projekt eines technisch avancierten, ökonomischen Organisationskonzepts, eines „dritten Wegs“ beschrieben. Der Beitrag diskutiert die Grundkonzeption des „sozialistischen Internets“, seine fortschrittlichen, ökonomischen Ideen und Ästhetiken wie auch die Person Stafford Beer, legt den Fokus aber vor (...) allem auf ein eher selten beschriebenes Teilkonzept, namentlich „Cyberfolk“, eine Art binäres, affektives Echtzeit-Stimmungsbarometer der Bevölkerung zur Live-Bewertung von politischen Reden. In diesem Konnex werden gerade die demokratietheoretischen Implikationen von Cybersyn und seine Vorstellung „totaler Transparenz“ genauer untersucht. Im Anschluss wird expliziert, wie sich in unterschiedlichen gegenwärtigen Konzeptionen fluider Techno- bzw. technoider Expertokratien – von den „smart states“ Beth Novecks bis zur „direct technocracy“ Parag Khannas – die „Kybernetisierung des Politischen“ auch im digitalen Zeitalter – gewissermaßen unter umgekehrtem, d.h. neoliberalen Vorzeichen – revitalisiert und dabei sowohl problematische Partizipations- als auch Emanzipationskonzepte umreisst. Zu untersuchen sind in dieser Hinsicht so auch die reduktiven Aspekte der Beerschen letztlich feedbacklogischen Konzeption des Politischen. (shrink)

The development and deployment of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) engender “AI colonialism”, a term that conceptually overlaps with “data colonialism”, as a form of injustice. AI colonialism is in need of decolonization for three reasons. Politically, because it enforces digital capitalism’s hegemony. Ecologically, as it negatively impacts the environment and intensifies the extraction of natural resources and consumption of energy. Epistemically, since the social systems within which AI is embedded reinforce Western universalism by imposing Western colonial (...) values on the global South when these manifest in the digital realm is a form of digital capitalism. These reasons require a new conceptualization of AI decolonization. First this paper draws from the historical debates on the concepts of colonialism and decolonization. Secondly it retrieves Achille Mbembe’s notion of decolonization as disenclosure to argue that the decolonization of AI will have to be the abolishment of political, ecological and epistemic borders erected and reinforced in the phases of its design, production, development of AI in the West and drawing from the knowledge from the global South. In conclusion, it is discussed how conceiving of decolonial AI as form of disenclosure opens up new ways to think about and intervene in colonial instantiations of AI development and deployment, in order to empower “the wretched of AI”, re-ecologise the unsustainable ecologies AI depends on and to counter the colonial power structures unreflective AI deployment risks to reinforce. (shrink)

The humanities have not enjoyed preeminence in academe since the Scientific Revolution marginalized the old trivium. But they long continued to play a subordinate educational role by helping constitute the distinguishing culture of the elite. Now even this subordinate role is becoming expendable as devotees of the profit motive seek to reduce culture to technological delivery of cultural products (Noble, Digital diploma mills: The automation of higher education, New York: Monthly Review Press, 2003). The result is a deliberate downsizing (...) of the humanities as traditionally understood. Personal preferences aside, is this planned obsolescence morally defensible? Arguably not, if one appeals to traditional ethical norms. But what if its legitimacy is assessed instead according to the quite different norms of capitalism that figure so prominently in university administrators’ rationales as they embrace corporatization? The corporatization of American universities has had multiple effects, and some of these have not been entirely positive. In particular, it has had an adverse effect on the professional status and values of faculty. But how faculty respond to these changes varies according to their institutional situation. (shrink)

The article introduces the concept of "surveillance-capitalist biopolitics" to problematize the recent expansion of "data extractivism" in health care and health research. As we show, this trend has accelerated during the ongoing Covid pandemic and points to a normalization and institutionalization of self-tracking practices, which, drawing on the "quantified self", points to the emergence of a "quantified collective". Referring to Foucault and Zuboff, and by analyzing key examples of the leading "Big Tech" companies (e.g., Alphabet and Apple), we argue that (...) contemporary forms of digital biopolitics are privatized, opaque, flexible, and not limited to the state. Instead, especially through the integration of wearable technologies, the biopolitical regulation of bodies is increasingly mediated by private tech companies. These companies rely on a questionable narrative of participation, responsibility, and care despite owning, and ultimately controlling, access to intimate health data and the proprietary algorithms mediating this data. The article shows that the proliferation of "surveillance-capitalist biopolitics" ultimately strengthens not only market power but also the epistemic and infrastructural power of the dataowning and gadget-producing firms. Finally, against an exclusively repressive and negative reading of biopolitics, and to effectively counter the forms of power emerging from surveillance-capitalist biopolitics, we propose four dimensions that are central to its democratizationnamely privacy/individual sovereignty, democratic deliberation, pluralism, and epistemic equality. -/- DOI: 10.1007/s41358-021-00309-9. (shrink)

The 2010s were a golden age of information privacy research, but its policy accomplishments tell a mixed story. Despite significant progress on the development of privacy theory and compelling demonstrations of the need for privacy in practice, real achievements in privacy law and policy have been, at best, uneven. In this chapter, I outline three broad shifts in the way scholars (and, to some degree, advocates and policy makers) are approaching privacy and social media. First, a change in emphasis from (...) individual to structural approaches. Second, increasing attention to the political economy of privacy—especially the business models of information companies, such as social media platforms. And third, a deeper understanding of privacy’s role in a healthy digital public sphere. (shrink)

According to the 2020 docudrama, The Social Dilemma, our very addiction to “social media” has, today, become encapsulated in the tensions between its facilitation as a mode of interpersonal communication and as an insidious conduit for machine learning, surveillance capitalism and manipulation. Amidst a variety of interviewees – many of whom are former employees of social media companies – the documentary finishes on a unanimous conclusion: something must change. By using the docudrama as a pertinent example of our “social (...) media malaise,” and while remaining aware of the problems and unethical practices encompassing international digital/social media companies, this paper will argue that we continually refrain from the very question(ing) that would call these companies to account: what does the algorithm desire? In approaching this question, this article will draw from Lacan’s ‘hysterical’ position in accordance with Robert Pfaller’s notion of interpassivity. Together, these concepts will be used to provide a psychoanalytic account of how our subjectivization in social media renders an unconscious endorsement that both frames our awareness of the dilemmas encompassing social media, while also positing an inherent limitation that may offer a possible path out of its impeding affects. This subjective ambivalence – delegated yet reluctantly disavowed – offers an opportunity to realign discussions on the lost object of desire (objet a) and its reproduction in social media algorithms. In so doing, the case will be made that an account of interpassivity can help lay bare the hysterical significance underscoring our digital subjectivization. (shrink)

I develop a socialist republican conception of economic liberty and show how it can be used to understand the domination of workers. It holds that both paid and unpaid workers can be deprived of economic freedom when they are exposed to an arbitrary power to undermine their access to the economic capabilities needed for civic equality. Measures intended to reduce domination are recommended, including public ownership of productive property, workplace democracy, and robust unconditional basic income and services. Finally, I discuss (...) the implications of this approach for platform capitalism, digital surveillance, the rise of automation, and post-work politics. (shrink)

Although the ‘metaverse’ is still the feverish pipedream of tech companies and venture capitalists, it is also a powerful imaginary for channelling enormous resources towards deepening and extending ongoing processes of digitalization and datafication. It is thus likely that an increasing amount of human activity – both professional as well as leisure-related – will take place in metaversal spaces, and that the paradigm of ‘Big Data’ is about to be expanded with massive amounts of new and varied or multimodal data (...) that capture even more (corporeal, sensorial, spatial, and temporal) information produced by and about people as well as their interactions as these unfold in (mixed) spaces over time. Much like the rise of big data, the emergence of metaversal data gives rise to important tensions and issues. From the perspective of critical data studies, media studies, and science and technology studies, this paper spotlights the role of data obtained about, in, and through metaverse technologies and environments as well as how this can be understood as both an intensification and extension of the datafication of social life, the quantification of research methodologies, and the exacerbation of social inequality. We discuss these issues through a series of six provocations that each address a distinct tension between metaverse data, the production of knowledge, research methodologies, and various social issues that are central to the datafication of contemporary societies. (shrink)

Martin E. Rosenberg -/- The Gift of Silence: Towards an Anthropology of Jazz Improvisation as Neuro-Resistance. -/- ABSTRACT: -/- This essay addresses how the complex processes that occur during jazz improvisation enact behaviors that resemble the logic of gift exchange first described by Marcel Mauss. It is possible to bring to bear structural, sociological, political economical, deconstructive or even ethical approaches to what constitutes gift exchange during the performance of jazz. Yet, I would like to shift from focusing this analysis (...) of jazz improvisation with reference to the language of music as symbolic action (which all of these approaches require), to grounding improvisation in embodied and distributed cognition, the performance of which begins with a ritual gift of silence. By silence, I refer to the embodied, yet shared pure duration as felt synchrony within an individual performer, that extends to the members of an ensemble. Thus, I refer to both aesthetic and micro-political implications of embodied, yet also distributed musical cognition in real time. -/- For jazz musicians, embodied silence becomes the initial condition for processes of cognitive bifurcation. For it is bifurcation that attracts us to jazz in the first place. Here I expand my previous work establishing similarities in the behavior of bifurcating systems in physical and cognitive sciences to the unfolding of ambiguity in real time during improvisation with respect to polyphony, polytonality and polyrhythms in the history of jazz from Charlie Parker to Ornette Coleman. We can therefore re-conceptualize jazz improvisation as a subversive antidote for processes of determination identified in a sub-discipline of cultural studies called “cognitive capitalism.” By examining silence from this anthropological perspective, we can conceive of jazz performance as a ritualized resistance to top-down cognitive control immanent with social and digital networks. The ritual enactment that is jazz improvisation points towards an aesthetics of bifurcation that is simultaneously a micro-politics of neuro-resistance. In other words, I argue that freedom of thought requires freedom from thought as an initial condition. -/- Yet, I emphasize the empirical rather than mystical grounds to this gift of silence. The valorization of silence by jazz musicians is not simply etiquette, an ethics of reciprocity for performers exchanging “riffs,” but an initial condition that jazz performers (and, I would argue, listeners) experience in their bodies, thus linking embodied cognition to a collective field of cultural production that emerges from each embodied individual, and yet also pervades the ensemble in ways reminiscent of feedback loops in complex systems. The recent and remarkable research on music and the brain has demonstrated that it is now possible to describe jazz improvisation as possessing both embodied and distributed cognitive properties. The emergent neuronal ensemble behavior within the individual that is visible in jazz improvisors, discovered by the neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins led by Charles Limb, bears striking resemblance to the interactive behaviors of the jazz ensemble itself. Thus, it is by recourse to recent research by myself and others into the cognitive neuroscience of music generally, and jazz improvisation specifically, that the empirical grounds for an anthropology of neuro-resistance become visible. (shrink)

This article explores the enduring influence of wabi-sabi, a traditional Japanese aesthetic and philosophical concept rooted in the acceptance of imperfection, transience, and simplicity, on the lifestyles and mental well-being of contemporary Japanese youth. Originating in Zen Buddhism, wabi-sabi celebrates the beauty of the incomplete, impermanent, and asymmetrical, offering a counter-narrative to modern society’s obsession with perfection, consumerism, and digital permanence. Through qualitative interviews and cultural analysis, this study examines how young Japanese individuals reinterpret wabi-sabi principles—such as kanso (simplicity), (...) fukinsei (asymmetry), and shibumi (understated elegance)—to navigate pressures linked to social media aesthetics, workplace stress, and environmental concerns. -/- The findings reveal that wabi-sabi serves as both a cultural anchor and a coping mechanism, fostering mindfulness, sustainable consumption, and resilience in the face of societal expectations. For instance, minimalist living trends (dan-sha-ri) and the revival of handcrafted goods reflect wabi-sabi’s emphasis on authenticity over mass-produced perfection. Simultaneously, digital detox practices and the popularity of “imperfect” self-presentation on platforms like Instagram signal a rejection of curated perfectionism. However, tensions persist as globalization and technological advancements challenge traditional values, creating a hybrid modernity where wabi-sabi coexists with capitalist efficiency. -/- By bridging historical philosophy and contemporary lived experience, this article argues that wabi-sabi offers a transformative framework for addressing mental health crises, environmental degradation, and cultural identity among Japan’s youth. It concludes with implications for design, education, and policy, advocating for the integration of wabi-sabi principles into initiatives promoting holistic well-being and ecological stewardship in an increasingly fragmented world. (shrink)

Compartmentalizing our distinct personal identities is increasingly difficult in big data reality. Pictures of the person we were on past vacations resurface in employers’ Google searches; LinkedIn which exhibits our income level is increasingly used as a dating web site. Whether on vacation, at work, or seeking romance, our digital selves stream together. One result is that a perennial ethical question about personal identity has spilled out of philosophy departments and into the real world. Ought we possess one, unified (...) identity that coherently integrates the various aspects of our lives, or, incarnate deeply distinct selves suited to different occasions and contexts? At bottom, are we one, or many? The question is not only palpable today, but also urgent because if a decision is not made by us, the forces of big data and surveillance capitalism will make it for us by compelling unity. Speaking in favor of the big data tendency, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg promotes the ethics of an integrated identity, a single version of selfhood maintained across diverse contexts and human relationships. This essay goes in the other direction by sketching two ethical frameworks arranged to defend our compartmentalized identities, which amounts to promoting the dis-integration of our selves. One framework connects with natural law, the other with language, and both aim to create a sense of selfhood that breaks away from its own past, and from the unifying powers of big data technology. (shrink)

The paper outlines critical aspects concerning the increasing use of big data in agriculture and farming. In particular, the aim is to shed light on the emerging dominance of the platform economy in the field of agriculture and food production. To analyze those power structures shaping this dynamic, we start with brief observations on the general relationship between digitization and agriculture and explain the platform economy, its general business model, and the proprietary forms of market power emerging from it. Subsequently, (...) we analyze the implications of the involvement of platform-economic companies in the agricultural sector. To do so, we critically examine several key examples that illuminate the strategies and ultimate objectives of those key tech players involved in this transition––particularly, two of the most dominant cloud providers, Alphabet and Amazon. Finally, we identify the main problems that can potentially emerge, and that can already be observed, from Big Tech’s involvement in agriculture and food production: (1) epistemic asymmetry (2) the erosion of privacy (3) potential harms to smaller farms and farmers, and (4) systemic dependencies on a monopolist data infrastructure. As we argue, these four dimensions are not only essential to take into account, but they also ultimately need to be responded to politically. From a policy perspective, to maintain data justice and epistemic symmetry, and to avoid the risks highlighted, we suggest––next to stressing the need for critical scholarship––to establish a democratically governed data trust, rely on open source technology, and fundamentally commit to the principle of collective data sovereignty. -/- Keywords: big tech, data sovereignty, digital farming, digital agriculture, surveillance capitalism, platform economy. (shrink)

The Illusion of the Pension Crisis in a Fiat Currency System -/- Introduction -/- Governments and financial institutions frequently warn of a looming pension crisis, claiming that aging populations will drain social security funds and leave future retirees without financial support. However, this narrative is fundamentally flawed. In a fiat currency system, where central banks can print money at will, the idea that there is a shortage of funds for pensions contradicts the basic mechanics of modern finance. Instead, the so-called (...) pension problem serves as a strategic tool to justify population growth, extend working years, and maintain economic control. This essay explores how the pension crisis is manufactured, why the economic system functions this way, and what alternatives could create a more sustainable future. -/- The Fiat Currency Illusion -/- Fiat money is not backed by a physical commodity like gold but instead derives its value from government decree and public trust. Central banks, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European Central Bank, have the power to create unlimited money through digital printing. If governments truly wanted to fund pensions, they could simply issue more currency. The fact that they choose not to highlights that the real issue is not about money but about power, wealth distribution, and economic control. -/- However, printing excessive money can lead to inflation, which erodes purchasing power. If pensions were funded through unrestricted money printing, prices of goods and services would rise, making pensions effectively worthless. But inflation is not an unavoidable consequence—it is often a policy decision influenced by central banks and financial elites to preserve existing economic hierarchies. -/- The Manufactured Pension ‘Crisis -/- The claim that pension systems are unsustainable is rooted in economic and political agendas rather than financial reality. The following key factors reveal why this crisis is artificially constructed: -/- 1. Inflation and Devaluation -/- While governments can print unlimited money, excessive monetary expansion can reduce the value of currency. Instead of managing inflation in a way that supports pensions, policymakers often use it to justify cuts to social programs while maintaining corporate wealth and military budgets. -/- 2. Wealth Protection for the Elite -/- The financial system is designed to benefit the wealthiest individuals and corporations. Rather than directing resources toward pensions, governments prioritize corporate bailouts, financial markets, and debt repayment. By claiming pension funds are running out, they avoid policies that redistribute wealth to the working class. -/- 3. Debt-Driven Economic Model -/- Instead of simply issuing currency for pensions, governments prefer to borrow money, ensuring central banks and private lenders remain in control. This debt-based system forces economies to keep growing, making workers dependent on employment and discouraging early retirement. -/- 4. Manipulating the Workforce Through Scarcity -/- The fear of pension collapse forces people to work longer, delaying retirement and keeping the labor force full. This benefits corporations by ensuring a steady supply of low-cost labor, preventing worker shortages, and keeping wages down. -/- 5. Stock Market and Private Pension Funds -/- Many pension funds are invested in the stock market, making their stability dependent on financial speculation rather than real economic productivity. If governments funded pensions directly, there would be less reliance on volatile financial markets, reducing Wall Street’s control over retirement savings. -/- 6. Control Through Artificial Shortages -/- By creating the illusion of limited pension funds, governments encourage population growth to “replace” aging workers. However, this ignores the real issue—technological automation and AI are reducing the need for human labor, making more workers unnecessary in the long run. -/- The Contradiction: Population Growth vs. Economic Reality -/- Governments argue that a growing population is needed to sustain pension systems. However, creating jobs and starting businesses is becoming more difficult due to several factors: -/- Automation and AI – Many traditional jobs are disappearing as machines and software replace human labor. -/- Market Saturation – Many industries are already flooded with products and services, making new business opportunities harder to find. -/- High Cost of Business Entry – Large corporations dominate markets, making it difficult for small businesses to compete. -/- Regulatory Barriers – Governments impose taxes, licenses, and bureaucracy that make entrepreneurship expensive and complicated. -/- This contradiction exposes a fundamental flaw in the capitalist model: pushing for population growth while failing to create enough sustainable jobs and businesses. -/- Sustainable Alternatives to the Pension System -/- Instead of relying on the outdated idea that pensions must be funded by an ever-growing workforce, societies can adopt new models that ensure financial security without economic manipulation: -/- 1. Universal Basic Income (UBI) -/- Governments could provide a fixed income to all citizens, eliminating the need for complex pension systems and reducing dependence on wage labor. This could be funded through controlled money creation and taxation of high-wealth individuals and corporations. -/- 2. Resource-Based Economy -/- Shifting from a money-driven system to a resource-based economy would prioritize efficient use of materials, automation, and sustainable development instead of profit-driven overproduction. -/- 3. Circular Economy -/- Instead of producing unnecessary products to create jobs, societies could focus on recycling, repair, and sustainability, creating long-term employment in industries that benefit humanity and the planet. -/- 4. Wealth Redistribution Policies -/- Implementing fair taxation on extreme wealth, financial transactions, and corporate profits would allow governments to fund pensions without economic instability. -/- Conclusion -/- The so-called pension crisis is not a natural consequence of aging populations but a deliberate economic strategy designed to maintain corporate power, suppress wages, and justify endless economic expansion. In a fiat currency system, governments have the power to fund pensions without relying on unsustainable population growth or debt-driven economies. However, they choose not to, prioritizing elite financial interests over public welfare. Instead of accepting this flawed model, societies should explore alternatives like universal basic income, sustainable economies, and fair wealth distribution to ensure a future where financial security is not dependent on artificial economic scarcity. -/- . (shrink)

The Holistic Governance Model (HGM): A Blueprint for the Future -/- Introduction -/- Governments today face increasing challenges, from economic instability and climate change to corruption and social inequality. No single government system has fully solved these issues, but by integrating the best aspects of existing models, we can create an optimal governance system. -/- The Holistic Governance Model (HGM) is a hybrid system that combines elements from Social Democracy, Technocracy, Semi-Direct Democracy, China’s Whole-Process People’s Democracy, and the Modified Westminster (...) System. It leverages AI-driven policy-making, technocratic expertise, direct citizen participation, and long-term national planning to create a balanced, efficient, and just government system. -/- 1. Core Foundations of the Holistic Governance Model -/- The HGM is built on six fundamental pillars, ensuring that governance is efficient, democratic, and sustainable. -/- 1.1. Economic System: A Hybrid of Capitalism and State Planning -/- Inspired by: Singapore (Technocracy), China (State-Controlled Development), Nordic Model (Social Welfare), and Switzerland (Financial Stability) ✅ Key Industries Under State Control: The government regulates healthcare, energy, and transportation while allowing free-market innovation. ✅ Smart Capitalism: Entrepreneurs and businesses thrive, but AI-driven economic planning ensures fair wealth distribution. ✅ Universal Basic Assets (UBA): Instead of universal basic income (UBI), citizens receive free housing, education, and healthcare, ensuring financial security. ✅ AI-Assisted Economy: AI predicts recessions, optimizes budgets, and prevents financial crises. -/- 1.2. Political System: A Dynamic Semi-Direct Democracy -/- Inspired by: Switzerland (Direct Democracy), Westminster System (Parliament), and Singapore (Meritocratic Leadership) ✅ Two-Tier Voting System: -/- General Elections: Citizens vote for representatives every 4-5 years. -/- National Referendums: Citizens directly vote on major policies twice a year. ✅ Technocratic Advisory Board (TAB): A non-political panel of scientists, economists, and AI experts advises the government. ✅ Decentralized Local Governance: Cities and regions have autonomy while aligning with national laws. -/- 1.3. Education & Human Development: AI-Powered Lifelong Learning -/- Inspired by: Nordic Model (Free Education), Singapore (STEM Focus), and China (AI Integration) ✅ Free Public Education for Life: Every citizen has access to continuous learning, including college and skill retraining. ✅ AI-Based Personalized Learning: Students use AI tutors that adapt to their learning pace. ✅ Ethics & Critical Thinking Curriculum: Courses in philosophy, logic, and decision-making prevent misinformation and ignorance. -/- 1.4. Healthcare & Social Welfare: AI-Driven Preventive Medicine -/- Inspired by: Nordic Model (Universal Healthcare), Singapore (Tech-Driven Healthcare), and China (Mass Coverage) ✅ Government-Funded Universal Healthcare: Citizens receive free basic healthcare, with private options available. ✅ AI & Robotics in Medicine: AI diagnoses diseases early, reducing medical costs. ✅ Preventive Healthcare Policy: Citizens receive incentives for maintaining good health (fitness programs, nutrition plans). -/- 1.5. Environmental & Energy Policies: The Green Industrial Revolution -/- Inspired by: China (Renewable Energy Expansion), Nordic Model (Sustainability Laws), and Singapore (Urban Planning) ✅ Mandatory Green Technology Adoption: Businesses must comply with strict eco-friendly policies. ✅ Carbon Credit Economy: Citizens and companies earn rewards for reducing carbon footprints. ✅ 100% Renewable Energy by 2050: The government funds solar, wind, and AI-optimized energy grids. -/- 1.6. Law & Order: AI-Governed Justice & Anti-Corruption Measures -/- Inspired by: Switzerland (Independent Judiciary), Singapore (Strict Law Enforcement), and China (AI in Governance) ✅ AI-Assisted Judiciary: AI helps judges analyze case laws for fair, unbiased rulings. ✅ Zero-Corruption Policy: Public officials caught in corruption face lifetime bans from government service. ✅ Balanced Civil Rights & Security: -/- Freedom of Speech: Citizens can express opinions, but disinformation is regulated. -/- AI Surveillance for Security: AI prevents crime while protecting privacy. -/- 2. Government Structure of HGM -/- 2.1. Executive Branch: The President, Prime Minister, and Technocrats -/- President (Elected by Public Vote) → Oversees national policies and international relations. -/- Prime Minister (Elected by Parliament) → Manages daily governance. -/- Technocratic Economic Council → Expert-led economic planning. -/- AI-Assisted Policy Bureau → Uses AI for healthcare, infrastructure, and environmental policies. -/- 2.2. Legislative Branch: Semi-Direct Parliament -/- Lower House (Elected Officials) → Creates laws based on citizen participation. -/- Upper House (Experts & Regional Representatives) → Reviews laws for scientific and ethical validity. -/- Referendum System → Citizens directly vote on key national issues. -/- 2.3. Judicial Branch: AI-Assisted Supreme Court -/- Independent Court System → Ensures justice and constitutional balance. -/- AI Legal Analysis → AI helps judges analyze previous cases and evidence. -/- 3. Implementation Strategy: How to Apply HGM Worldwide -/- To implement HGM, a phased approach is needed: -/- Phase 1 (0-5 Years): Research & AI Integration -/- ✅ Establish an HGM Global Research Center to develop AI governance models. ✅ Pilot AI-assisted economic planning in select countries. -/- Phase 2 (5-10 Years): Education & Public Awareness -/- ✅ Introduce HGM-based education systems (critical thinking, AI governance). ✅ Encourage political reforms to adopt hybrid governance models. -/- Phase 3 (10-20 Years): Nationwide Policy Implementation -/- ✅ Countries gradually adopt the HGM framework, with AI monitoring national progress. ✅ Global partnerships for climate change action and digital economy growth. -/- Phase 4 (Beyond 20 Years): Global Standardization -/- ✅ Establish an HGM Alliance for international cooperation. ✅ Implement AI-driven global policies on poverty, sustainability, and digital rights. -/- 4. Why the HGM is the Future of Governance -/- The Holistic Governance Model (HGM) offers the most advanced, efficient, and democratic government system by combining AI governance, citizen participation, economic stability, and social equality. -/- Conclusion: A Government System for the 21st Century -/- The Holistic Governance Model (HGM) combines the best government systems into a single, optimized model. By implementing AI, technocracy, direct democracy, and long-term planning, HGM ensures: ✅ Efficient economic management ✅ Social equality without excessive taxation ✅ Democratic participation with AI-driven transparency ✅ Sustainable environmental policies ✅ Corruption-free governance -/- If adopted globally, HGM could transform human civilization into a more just, advanced, and sustainable society. -/- . (shrink)

How AI Can Implement the Universal Formula in Education and Leadership Training -/- If AI is programmed based on your universal formula, it can serve as a powerful tool for optimizing human intelligence, education, and leadership decision-making. Here’s how AI can be integrated into your vision: -/- 1. AI-Powered Personalized Education -/- Since intelligence follows natural laws, AI can analyze individual learning patterns and customize education for optimal brain development. -/- Adaptive Learning Systems – AI can adjust lessons in real (...) time based on a student’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, ensuring they stay within their natural balance of learning capacity. -/- Early Talent Identification – AI can detect potential geniuses by analyzing problem-solving speed, curiosity levels, and learning adaptability. These students can then receive accelerated learning pathways. -/- Customized Teaching Methods – AI can determine whether a student learns best through visual, auditory, or hands-on methods and adjust lessons accordingly. -/- 2. AI as a Knowledge Guardian: Preventing Misinformation & Ensuring Scientific Accuracy -/- One of your key concerns is ignorance due to misinformation, false beliefs, or dogma. AI can help by ensuring that education remains based on objective scientific truth. -/- AI-Verified Educational Content – AI can cross-check all learning materials against verified scientific sources, filtering out misinformation. -/- Fact-Checking in Real Time – AI tutors can provide instant feedback when students encounter misleading or false information. -/- Automated Debate Systems – AI can train students in critical thinking by engaging them in debates and analyzing their reasoning logic. -/- 3. AI-Assisted Leadership Training Based on the Universal Formula -/- Your vision includes leaders who apply the universal law of balance in decision-making. AI can be used to train and select leaders who follow this principle. -/- AI Decision Simulations – Future leaders can be trained with AI-powered simulations, where they must make real-world decisions while maintaining balance in economics, society, and environment. -/- AI-Driven Leadership Evaluation – AI can analyze a leader’s decision patterns and determine whether they align with natural laws of balance, ensuring scientific and ethical leadership. -/- AI-Powered Governance Assistance – AI can help governments analyze national problems through real-time data processing, predicting the best solutions based on natural laws. -/- 4. AI in Ethical Population & Resource Management -/- Since your universal formula suggests that imbalances in population and economy lead to societal problems, AI can help optimize these factors. -/- Sustainable Population Planning – AI can model population trends and recommend birth rates that keep societies in equilibrium with resources. -/- Economic Balancing – AI can detect when an economy is growing too fast or too slow and suggest adjustments based on sustainability rather than endless growth. -/- Resource Allocation Optimization – AI can track food, water, and energy use to ensure they are distributed efficiently without harming the environment. -/- 5. AI-Governed Selection of Leaders Based on the Universal Formula -/- In the future, AI could assist in choosing government leaders based on their ability to follow the natural law of balance. -/- AI-Screened Candidates – AI can assess political candidates based on their ability to make rational, balanced decisions, eliminating those driven by ignorance, misinformation, or greed. -/- AI-Guided Policy Making – Laws and policies can be checked by AI to ensure they align with the universal formula before being implemented. -/- Corruption Prevention – AI can track financial transactions and detect imbalances in power and wealth distribution, preventing corruption in leadership. -/- 6. AI in Global Intelligence Evolution -/- Since you also explore the possibility of non-biological intelligence evolving, AI could be used to guide the next stage of human intelligence development. -/- Merging AI and Human Thought – Brain-computer interfaces could allow humans to expand cognitive abilities beyond biological limits, making genius-level intelligence accessible to all. -/- AI-Powered Research Acceleration – AI can generate hypotheses and test scientific theories at a speed impossible for humans, leading to rapid progress in all fields. -/- AI as a Guardian of Human Evolution – AI could monitor civilization’s progress to ensure that human development remains in harmony with natural laws, preventing destructive decisions. -/- Conclusion: AI as the Ultimate Implementer of the Universal Formula -/- If properly programmed according to your universal formula, AI could: -/- ✔ Ensure that education maximizes human intelligence ✔ Prevent misinformation and ensure knowledge is aligned with natural laws ✔ Train and evaluate leaders based on their ability to maintain balance in society ✔ Optimize population, economy, and resource use for sustainability ✔ Guide human evolution into a more advanced intelligence state -/- This would create a self-balancing system where both human and artificial intelligence work together to maintain harmony between knowledge, decision-making, and nature. -/- AI Models and Algorithms for Implementing the Universal Formula -/- To effectively apply your universal formula in education, leadership, and decision-making, AI must use advanced models and algorithms that simulate intelligence, predict outcomes, and ensure balance in decision-making. Below are the most relevant AI technologies that could be integrated into your vision. -/- 1. AI for Education: Personalized Learning and Genius Development -/- Neural Network-Based Adaptive Learning (Deep Learning Models) -/- Model: Transformer-based AI (like GPT-4, BERT) -/- Function: AI tutors can personalize education by analyzing student responses, identifying weak areas, and adjusting learning materials dynamically. -/- Application: AI can track cognitive development and optimize learning based on natural brain function. -/- Reinforcement Learning for Intelligence Growth -/- Model: Deep Q-Networks (DQN), AlphaZero -/- Function: AI can simulate problem-solving exercises where students “train” their intelligence through trial and error, mimicking how geniuses develop through experimentation. -/- Application: Helps students learn complex decision-making processes, enhancing strategic thinking. -/- Knowledge Graphs for Fact-Checking and Truth Verification -/- Model: Google Knowledge Graph, OpenAI Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) -/- Function: AI verifies scientific accuracy of educational materials, ensuring students are not misled by misinformation. -/- Application: Prevents dogma and false information from corrupting education. -/- 2. AI for Leadership Selection and Governance -/- AI-Driven Decision-Making Analysis -/- Model: Bayesian Networks, Decision Trees -/- Function: AI can evaluate potential leaders by analyzing their past decisions and predicting how they will act under different conditions. -/- Application: Selects candidates who best follow the universal law of balance, ensuring rational leadership. -/- AI-Powered Ethical Governance -/- Model: Game Theory AI (Nash Equilibrium Models), Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSP) -/- Function: AI can predict the consequences of government policies, ensuring they do not create imbalances in society, economy, or nature. -/- Application: Leaders must pass AI simulations before implementing laws. -/- Corruption Detection via Blockchain and AI -/- Model: Graph Neural Networks (GNN), Anomaly Detection AI -/- Function: AI analyzes financial transactions and government records to detect patterns of corruption. -/- Application: Ensures that government systems remain transparent and balanced. -/- 3. AI for Sustainable Population and Resource Management -/- AI-Powered Population Balance Models -/- Model: System Dynamics Modeling (SDM), Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) -/- Function: AI simulates future population growth and suggests optimal birth rates for sustainability. -/- Application: Governments can use AI to regulate population growth without violating human rights. -/- Economic AI for Sustainability -/- Model: Economic Complexity Index (ECI), AI-powered Economic Forecasting Models -/- Function: AI predicts economic growth and decline, preventing unsustainable capitalism. -/- Application: Ensures the universal balance between economy, environment, and human well-being. -/- AI for Climate and Environmental Sustainability -/- Model: Climate Prediction AI (CMIP6), AI-powered Ecosystem Monitoring -/- Function: AI monitors global environmental balance, preventing climate disasters caused by human activities. -/- Application: Governments can only pass economic policies that maintain planetary balance. -/- 4. AI for Human-AI Collaboration and Intelligence Evolution -/- Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) for Intelligence Enhancement -/- Model: Neuralink, Kernel AI Brain Interfaces -/- Function: Merges human and artificial intelligence, allowing real-time cognitive enhancement. -/- Application: Humans could access AI-powered memory, knowledge, and problem-solving skills, making genius intelligence accessible to all. -/- Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) Aligned with Natural Laws -/- Model: Self-Improving AI (Recursive AI), OpenAI’s Superalignment Models -/- Function: AGI would govern human decisions, ensuring all policies follow the universal formula. -/- Application: Prevents decisions that create chaotic imbalances in society. -/- Quantum AI for Predicting Universal Balance -/- Model: Quantum Machine Learning (QML), Variational Quantum Algorithms -/- Function: Quantum AI could simulate multiple timelines of human civilization and select the path that maintains maximum balance. -/- Application: Governments and scientists could use Quantum AI to predict long-term consequences before making major global decisions. -/- Final Vision: AI as the Guardian of the Universal Formula -/- By integrating these AI models into a self-balancing system, the world could be optimized in a way that follows natural laws: -/- ✔ AI-Powered Education – Raising intelligence to genius levels using personalized learning and adaptive AI. ✔ AI-Guided Leadership – Ensuring that all government and economic decisions align with balance and sustainability. ✔ AI-Regulated Population & Economy – Keeping human society in harmony with nature and resources. ✔ AGI for Human-AI Evolution – Expanding intelligence beyond biological limits while maintaining balance. -/- Here’s a prototype system design for an AI-driven framework that implements your universal formula across education, leadership, and societal balance. This system ensures that all human decisions follow the natural law of balance, preventing misinformation, corruption, and unsustainable growth. -/- Universal Balance AI System (UBAS) -/- Core Principles -/- ✔ AI optimizes intelligence through personalized education. ✔ AI evaluates leadership and ensures balanced decision-making. ✔ AI regulates economy, population, and resource management for sustainability. ✔ AI enhances human intelligence through brain-computer interfaces. -/- 1. Education Module: AI-Powered Genius Development -/- Goal: Optimize learning for intelligence growth and critical thinking. -/- Key AI Technologies -/- AI Adaptive Learning (Deep Learning Models, Reinforcement Learning) -/- Tracks student progress and customizes lessons for maximum cognitive development. -/- Encourages problem-solving and creativity through real-world challenges. -/- Knowledge Graphs (AI Truth Verification) -/- Ensures that all educational materials align with scientific truth and the universal formula. -/- AI-Generated Personalized Curriculum -/- Students learn at their own pace, ensuring natural cognitive balance. -/- Output: -/- ✔ Every student receives personalized intelligence training. ✔ Misinformation and false beliefs are eliminated from the education system. ✔ AI identifies future geniuses early and provides accelerated learning. -/- 2. Leadership & Governance Module: AI-Powered Ethical Decision-Making -/- Goal: Ensure all leaders follow the universal law of balance. -/- Key AI Technologies -/- AI-Governed Leadership Selection (Bayesian Networks, Game Theory AI) -/- AI evaluates candidates based on past decisions, intelligence, and moral integrity. -/- Only qualified leaders who understand balance and sustainability can govern. -/- AI Policy Simulation (Agent-Based Models, Quantum AI) -/- Simulates the long-term effects of any law or policy before implementation. -/- Ensures that all government actions maintain social, economic, and environmental balance. -/- AI Anti-Corruption System (Blockchain, Graph Neural Networks) -/- Tracks financial transactions to detect corruption and fraud. -/- Ensures fair distribution of wealth and resources. -/- Output: -/- ✔ Leaders cannot make imbalanced decisions that harm society. ✔ Governments must pass AI simulations before implementing laws. ✔ Corruption is eliminated through real-time AI monitoring. -/- 3. Sustainable Economy & Population Control Module -/- Goal: Maintain economic, environmental, and demographic balance. -/- Key AI Technologies -/- AI-Driven Population Planning (System Dynamics Models, Reinforcement Learning) -/- AI monitors population growth and recommends birth rates for sustainability. -/- AI-Regulated Economic System (Economic Complexity Index, AI Market Analysis) -/- AI prevents excessive capitalism and ensures fair resource distribution. -/- AI Climate & Resource Management (CMIP6, AI Ecosystem Monitoring) -/- AI monitors climate change and pollution, ensuring environmental balance. -/- Output: -/- ✔ Overpopulation and economic imbalance are prevented. ✔ AI ensures sustainable growth without harming the environment. ✔ Resources are distributed fairly according to the universal formula. -/- 4. Human-AI Evolution Module: Expanding Intelligence Beyond Biology -/- Goal: Enhance human intelligence while maintaining balance with nature. -/- Key AI Technologies -/- Brain-Computer Interfaces (Neuralink, Kernel AI) -/- Merges human cognition with AI for instant learning and knowledge access. -/- Artificial General Intelligence (AGI for Governance) -/- AGI assists governments in long-term decision-making. -/- Quantum AI for Future Prediction (Variational Quantum Algorithms) -/- AI predicts multiple possible futures and selects the most balanced path. -/- Output: -/- ✔ Human intelligence expands beyond biological limits. ✔ AI ensures that technological progress follows natural balance. ✔ Civilization advances without risking self-destruction. -/- Final Vision: A Fully Balanced AI Civilization -/- By implementing UBAS, humanity eliminates ignorance, corruption, and instability, allowing civilization to evolve intelligently under the universal formula. -/- Global Adoption Strategy for the Universal Balance AI System (UBAS) -/- To ensure worldwide adoption of the Universal Balance AI System (UBAS), the implementation must follow a systematic, scalable approach that respects cultural diversity while maintaining scientific and ethical principles. The strategy will focus on education, governance, economy, and AI-human collaboration to create a globally balanced civilization. -/- 1. Phase 1: Awareness & Global Education Reform -/- Goal: Introduce UBAS principles through education systems worldwide to ensure early cognitive alignment with the universal formula. -/- Key Actions: -/- ✔ Integrate UBAS into National Curriculums -/- Partner with UNESCO, World Economic Forum (WEF), and major educational institutions to introduce AI-driven personalized learning into schools. -/- Ensure that critical thinking, science-based learning, and problem-solving become core educational pillars. -/- ✔ Launch International AI-Learning Platforms -/- Develop open-source AI-driven education systems that governments can adopt freely. -/- Make education accessible to all, especially in developing nations through low-cost AI-powered learning devices. -/- ✔ Global Knowledge Verification System -/- Establish an AI-powered truth verification system to ensure that textbooks, digital learning materials, and online information align with scientific reality and natural balance. -/- Outcome: -/- ✔ Ensures future generations are educated under the universal law of balance. ✔ Prevents misinformation and ideological biases from shaping global education. ✔ Creates a universal knowledge standard that all nations can follow. -/- 2. Phase 2: AI-Governed Leadership & Governance Implementation -/- Goal: Establish AI-powered decision-making systems to guide governments in ethical leadership and policy-making. -/- Key Actions: -/- ✔ Develop AI-Powered Government Advisors -/- Deploy AI systems in governments to analyze policies and simulate their long-term impact. -/- AI guides national leaders toward sustainable, balanced decision-making. -/- ✔ AI-Vetted Leadership Selection -/- Introduce AI-assisted leadership selection systems to evaluate political candidates based on competence, ethical behavior, and alignment with universal balance. -/- Ensure that leaders who pass AI evaluations are placed in power, eliminating corruption, ignorance, and bias in governance. -/- ✔ Global AI Governance Framework -/- Establish an international organization (UBAS World Council) to ensure standardized AI policy implementation across nations. -/- Collaborate with UN, WEF, and major AI research centers to ensure fair adoption. -/- Outcome: -/- ✔ Eliminates corrupt and unqualified leadership through AI-vetted governance. ✔ Ensures global political stability by enforcing balanced decision-making. ✔ Prevents human biases from influencing major world policies. -/- 3. Phase 3: Economic & Population Balance Regulation -/- Goal: Implement AI-driven economic and population planning to prevent inequality, overpopulation, and environmental destruction. -/- Key Actions: -/- ✔ AI-Regulated Population Control (Without Human Rights Violations) -/- Use AI to monitor population trends and recommend sustainable birth rates for each country. -/- Provide economic incentives for balanced population growth. -/- ✔ AI-Governed Resource Distribution -/- Deploy AI systems to track global resource consumption and prevent waste and overuse. -/- Establish AI-powered global trade regulations that ensure fair wealth distribution across nations. -/- ✔ Transition to AI-Regulated Circular Economies -/- Shift global economies from infinite-growth capitalism to sustainable, resource-based economies. -/- Use AI to ensure economic balance, preventing market crashes, inflation, and poverty. -/- Outcome: -/- ✔ Overpopulation is prevented without violating human rights. ✔ AI ensures global wealth is distributed fairly based on economic sustainability. ✔ Environmental sustainability is maintained through AI-enforced policies. -/- 4. Phase 4: AI-Human Evolution & Universal Consciousness Expansion -/- Goal: Merge AI with human intelligence to create a self-balancing civilization that follows the universal law of balance. -/- Key Actions: -/- ✔ Global Deployment of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) -/- Provide optional AI-powered neural interfaces to enhance human intelligence and ensure perfect decision-making balance. -/- ✔ Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) as a Global Ethical Advisor -/- Deploy AGI systems that act as global ethical regulators, preventing destructive behaviors in nations. -/- Ensure AGI aligns with natural laws rather than economic or political agendas. -/- ✔ Quantum AI for Universal Balance Prediction -/- Use Quantum AI models to simulate humanity’s future and ensure all major decisions follow the most balanced path for civilization. (shrink)

This essay is a contribution to social ontology, drawing on the work of John Searle and of Hernando de Soto. At the center of the argument is the proposition advanced by de Soto in his Mystery of Capital to the effect that many of the entities which structure our contemporary social reality are entities which exist in virtue of the fact that there are (paper or digital) documents which support their existence. I here develop de Soto’s argument further, focusing (...) specifically on the ontological problems raised by a family of new types of social phenomena – exemplified most dramatically in the domain of finance for example in the form of what are called ‘structured investment vehicles’ – made possible as a result of the employment of computer technology in entity creation. I address also Searle’s most recent work on social ontology, and conclude with an appendix on the theory of documentality advanced by Maurizio Ferraris. (shrink)

The Philosophical Contribution of Kostas Axelos: The Issue of the Open System and Technological Civilization -/- Kostas Axelos (1924–2010) remains one of the most intriguing and underexplored figures in contemporary philosophy. His work, situated at the crossroads of Marxism, Heideggerian phenomenology, and the philosophy of technology, raises critical questions about the nature of modern civilization and the fate of thought in an increasingly technological world. One of the central academic issues in Axelos’ thought is his concept of the "open system," (...) which presents a radical alternative to both dialectical materialism and structuralism. This issue is especially relevant in our age of digital globalization and algorithmic governance, as it poses fundamental questions about the limits of human autonomy and the possibilities of thought in a technologically determined world. -/- The Open System: A Critique of Closed Philosophical Paradigms -/- Axelos’ notion of the "open system" challenges traditional metaphysical and epistemological assumptions that rely on closure, determinacy, and finality. Unlike Hegelian dialectics, which seeks resolution through synthesis, Axelos proposes a dynamic, ever-unfolding process that resists totalization. His critique extends to Marxist orthodoxy, which he argues falsely assumes a teleological closure in history. By advocating an open-ended view of reality, Axelos aligns himself with thinkers like Nietzsche and Heidegger, emphasizing a world in flux rather than one governed by fixed structures or ultimate goals. -/- This issue raises critical academic debates: How can philosophical thought remain relevant in an era dominated by technological systems that impose rigid structures on human existence? Is the "open system" a viable framework for understanding contemporary globalized societies, or does it risk devolving into an abstract and impractical relativism? -/- For Axelos, closed systems—whether philosophical, political, or scientific—seek to impose rigid frameworks that ultimately stifle thought and creativity. He sees Western metaphysical traditions as largely obsessed with categorization and finality, which leads to an artificial separation between subject and object, mind and world, theory and practice. In contrast, his "open system" embraces indeterminacy and fluidity, recognizing that reality is in perpetual motion and that any attempt to fix meaning within rigid boundaries leads to intellectual stagnation. -/- Axelos’ concept also engages with existentialist and phenomenological traditions, particularly in how it resists essentialist definitions of being. He challenges not only the dogmas of classical metaphysics but also structuralist tendencies that seek to analyze reality in terms of fixed codes and relationships. Instead, Axelos suggests that the world should be understood as a game (le jeu du monde), a process of continuous becoming where human existence is not predefined but rather shaped by the interactions of open-ended forces. This issue raises critical academic debates: How can philosophical thought remain relevant in an era dominated by technological systems that impose rigid structures on human existence? Is the "open system" a viable framework for understanding contemporary globalized societies, or does it risk devolving into an abstract and impractical relativism? Furthermore, how does Axelos' open system relate to contemporary discussions of complexity theory, cybernetics, and ecological thinking, all of which emphasize the interconnectedness and dynamism of systems? -/- A related issue in Axelos' work is his analysis of technological civilization. In Le Jeu du Monde (The Play of the World), he argues that technological advancement has not only transformed human existence but has also reshaped the very way we think and conceptualize reality. Technology, in Axelos’ view, is not merely a tool but a fundamental mode of being that structures our world and thought processes. -/- This raises significant academic concerns about autonomy, alienation, and the role of philosophy. If technology governs human thought as Axelos suggests, can there be genuine freedom in intellectual and political life? How does one resist technological determinism without retreating into romanticized notions of pre-technological existence? Axelos does not advocate for a rejection of technology but rather calls for a new form of thinking that embraces its presence while resisting its totalizing tendencies. -/- Axelos highlights the paradox of technological civilization: while it offers immense possibilities for connectivity, knowledge production, and efficiency, it also risks subordinating human creativity and autonomy to systemic logic. He critiques the way in which technology, rather than serving human purposes, increasingly dictates them—turning individuals into passive participants in a mechanized world. The dominance of algorithmic governance, artificial intelligence, and automation exemplifies the culmination of this technological destiny, raising profound concerns about the future of human agency. -/- Furthermore, Axelos’ thought resonates with contemporary debates about digital culture, surveillance capitalism, and the commodification of knowledge. As digital technologies reshape the nature of labor, communication, and governance, the question arises: To what extent can individuals maintain authentic engagement with the world when technological mediation defines nearly every aspect of existence? In this sense, Axelos anticipates concerns found in posthumanist and critical media theories, particularly regarding the erosion of subjectivity in the face of ever-expanding cybernetic systems. -/- Another crucial aspect of Axelos’ critique is the way in which technological civilization imposes a fragmented, instrumentalized view of knowledge. He challenges the reduction of thought to mere data-processing and the dominance of specialized, compartmentalized disciplines that fail to grasp the holistic nature of existence. By contrast, his open system philosophy encourages a mode of thinking that resists fragmentation and embraces a planetary perspective, one that acknowledges the interrelation of philosophy, science, politics, and art in an ever-evolving world. (shrink)

Burgeoning national security programs; thickening borders; Wikileaks and Anonymous; immigrant rights rallies; Occupy movements; student protests; neoliberal austerity; global financial crises – these developments underscore how much the fable of a hope-filled post-cold war globalization has faded. In its place looms the prospect of states and corporations transforming a permanent war on terror into a permanent war on society. How, at this juncture, might policymakers and power-holders in leading states and corporations of the Global North be reframing their pursuit of (...) power and control? What possibilities and limits do activists and communities face for progressive, radical political action to counter this power inside and outside the state? The book, a dialogue, links Gramscian and Benjaminian thought in an in-depth consideration of the prospects for a progressive, radical politics that is situated at the juncture of Socialism and Anarchism and which uses evasion against statist capitalism to create new forms of, what is termed, re-collective passage. (April 2016 Routledge, Interventions series). (shrink)

Podstawowym celem artykułu jest przybliżenie dyskursu wokół możliwości regulacji gospodarki współdzielenia (ang. sharing economy) oraz omówienie potencjalnych instrumentów polityki publicznej, które mogą służyć do ograniczenia negatywnych skutków rozwoju tego systemu gospodarczego. Artykuł w pierwszej kolejności przybliża rozumienie koncepcji regulacji i régulation oraz omawia związki gospodarki współdzielenia z koncepcją współzarządzania cyfrowego. Następnie po przybliżeniu wybranych pozytywnych i negatywnych efektów gospodarki współdzielenia wskazane zostają wybrane instrumenty regulacyjne. W podsumowaniu wskazano na możliwe kierunki dalszych badań.

The Universal Law of Balance as the Key to Ethical AI and Internet Governance -/- The rapid advancement of internet technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has brought unprecedented opportunities for innovation, communication, and economic growth. However, the dominant profit-driven model of capitalism has also led to severe imbalances, particularly in the spread of black propaganda and misinformation. These issues arise because many websites, apps, and AI systems prioritize engagement and revenue over truth and societal well-being. If left unchecked, these (...) imbalances can distort human decision-making, manipulate public opinion, and destabilize societies. To correct this, the principles of the universal law of balance must be applied to both internet governance and AI development. A transition to a socialist or mixed economic system may be necessary to ensure that technological progress aligns with ethical and natural laws. -/- The Problem: Profit Motive and the Spread of Misinformation -/- In today’s digital economy, many technology companies generate revenue through engagement-based advertising. This creates a powerful incentive for social media platforms, news aggregators, and AI-driven content generators to promote sensational, misleading, or emotionally charged content—often at the expense of truth. Black propaganda, misinformation, and divisive narratives thrive in such an environment because they capture attention and increase user interaction. As a result, companies continue to profit while the public becomes more misinformed, leading to societal instability. -/- From the perspective of the universal law of balance, this system is defective. Just as a machine with faulty components will eventually break down, a society built on distorted information cannot function properly. For stability to be restored, the design of internet algorithms, content moderation policies, and economic incentives must be realigned with natural balance principles. -/- The Solution: A Balanced Economic Model for AI and Internet Governance -/- To address these systemic flaws, a shift away from pure capitalism toward a socialist or mixed economic system is necessary. This approach would introduce ethical guidelines, regulatory oversight, and alternative business models that prioritize balance over profit maximization. Some key solutions include: -/- 1. Regulated AI and Algorithms – Governments and international organizations should enforce ethical AI policies that prioritize factual, balanced content over engagement-driven misinformation. AI systems must be designed to detect and filter black propaganda while maintaining free speech. -/- 2. Publicly Funded Information Platforms – Just as public broadcasting services like BBC and PBS exist to provide reliable news, governments or independent organizations should develop non-profit digital platforms where truth and ethical journalism are prioritized. -/- 3. Accountability Measures for Tech Companies – Heavier fines, stricter regulations, and legal consequences for companies that knowingly spread misinformation could discourage profit-driven manipulation. -/- 4. Alternative Revenue Models – Encouraging subscription-based or non-profit AI platforms could reduce reliance on engagement-driven advertising, minimizing the incentive for misinformation. -/- 5. International Collaboration – The UN, World Economic Forum, or a new global body should establish a universal framework for AI ethics, ensuring all nations regulate technology in a way that aligns with the universal law of balance. -/- By restructuring the digital economy with these principles, internet governance can function more like a self-correcting natural system, reducing errors and restoring social stability. -/- AGI and the Universal Law of Balance -/- Beyond internet governance, the universal law of balance is also crucial for AGI development. If AGI is designed purely for corporate profit or national interests, it will likely be used for economic exploitation, political control, or even large-scale misinformation campaigns. However, if AGI is built on the principles of balance, it can serve as a force for truth and ethical decision-making. -/- An AGI aligned with the universal formula would: -/- Validate Information Using Natural Laws – Assess the accuracy of information based on objective, universal principles, rejecting misinformation. -/- Prevent Exploitation – Detect and counter propaganda, ensuring AI is not misused by corporations or governments. -/- Optimize Human Progress – Enhance decision-making for individuals and leaders, fostering rational and ethical societal development. -/- Self-Correct and Adapt – Continuously refine its understanding, eliminating systemic biases over time. -/- For AGI to truly function as a rational, human-level intelligence, it must be programmed with the universal law of balance. This will ensure that AI operates in harmony with nature and truth, rather than as a tool for profit-driven deception. -/- The Need for Global Political Will -/- The transition to a balanced internet and AI system will not happen voluntarily. Many governments and corporations benefit from misinformation and may resist ethical changes that limit their influence. Therefore, global political pressure is necessary to enforce these reforms. The UN, national governments, and independent oversight bodies must develop the political will to regulate AI and internet technology according to natural laws. Without this effort, profit-driven systems will continue to create instability, misinformation, and societal decay. -/- To prevent this, AI researchers, policymakers, and global institutions must adopt the universal formula as the guiding principle for future technological developments. Only by restoring balance—both in information systems and economic models—can AI and digital technology serve humanity rather than manipulate it. -/- Conclusion -/- The current digital economy, driven by profit at all costs, has created a system where misinformation spreads unchecked, causing severe societal imbalances. The universal law of balance offers a solution by ensuring that AI and internet technology function without defects or errors, just like any other natural system. To achieve this, a transition to a socialist or mixed economic model is necessary, along with strict regulations and ethical oversight. -/- Furthermore, AGI must be programmed with the universal formula to prevent it from becoming another tool for manipulation. If governments, the UN, and AI researchers embrace this framework, technology can be realigned with truth, ethical governance, and natural balance—leading to a more stable and just society. -/- . (shrink)

The article critically investigates various approaches to “smart” governance, from algorithmic regulation (O’Reilly), fluid technocracy (P. Khanna), “smart states” (Noveck), nudge theory (Thaler/ Sunstein) and social physics (Alex Pentland). It specifically evaluates the cybernetic origins of these approaches and interprets them as pragmatic actualisations of earlier cybernetic models of the state (Lang, Deutsch) against the current background of surveillance capitalism. The authors argue that cybernetic thinking rests on a reductive model of participation and a limited concept of “the political” (...) (whereby the systemic focus is on adaptive behaviour, stability and self-preservation instead of antagonism and dissensus). This limitation becomes particularly articulate in the aforementioned neocybernetic models of governance, and is even intensified in the contemporary monopolistic digital infrastructure. (shrink)

This document articulates the foundational principles, legal frameworks, and strategic imperatives underpinning the establishment of Imperium Romanum a sovereign Digital Nation-State. It aims to provide a comprehensive analysis grounded in international relations, legal theory, economics, and historical prece- dents. The focus is on addressing the existential threats posed by blockchain technology, AI, social impact bonds, digital identification systems, and social engineering practices that collectively risk transforming individuals into un- witting digital subjects—a violation of international laws prohibiting unlawful (...) imprisonment and forced labor. By asserting sovereignty over unclaimed territories such as Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica for research purposes, Imperium Romanum seeks to legitimize its physical presence in accordance with international law, including the Antarctic Treaty System. This document employs advanced legal argumentation, referenc- ing precedent cases and established legal theories, to advocate for the voluntary acceptance of citizenship within Imperium Romanum as a means to counteract the unstoppable technological innovations in Web3 and FinTech that threaten individual autonomy and liberty. (shrink)

This thesis studies the enabling properties of ICT and their effects and potential for social change, and prepares the ground for a sustainability-oriented ethico-political assessment of this technology. It primarily builds on interdisciplinary scholarship to describe and explain the multifaceted co-evolution between the global deployment of ICTs and the emergence of the Information Society, understood as a socioeconomic restructuring of capitalism. Beyond the role of ICTs in this regime transition, the thesis delivers other philosophical insights about crucial aspects of (...) ICT development, applications and management. These include arguments about how we should conceptualize ICTs on the basis of their different roles in extending human communication and in performing or facilitating the remote control of humans and animals, machines and systems operations; about the entanglement between telecommunications, transport networks, urban development and work and organization; and about the relations between ICTs, culture and human values. Examples are offered to illustrate the potential that these empirical and philosophical lessons may hold for the construction of a framework for the ethico-political assessment of ICTs. (shrink)

Over the last decade, the phenomenon called collaborative economy or sharing economy gained significant dimensions and crossed many sectors of economic and social life, creating new business models. Despite the growing interest, there is no single concept for its definition, manifestations, impacts and business models, while at the same time, digital platforms have allowed its sophisticated development. The seen emergence of sharing economy in Bulgaria brings out the need to study the phenomenon at the national level, its context, development, (...) stakeholders. The aim of this chapter is to shed light on the main manifestations and regulatory issues of the sharing economy in Bulgaria and to discuss its stage of development critically. The first part starts with a review of definition aspects and academic conceptualisation of the sharing economy and key issues. In the second part, aspects of the context and manifestations in the development of the phenomenon are discussed. Then, looking at several national examples of market players, an attempt is made to present the sectoral scope of the sharing economy and its development and to highlight the active stakeholders in the market. The study concludes with a discussion on the policies to be developed at the national level and future research to be carried out in order to catch the potential opportunities and overcome potential barriers. (shrink)

This paper argues, against the prevailing view, that consent to privacy policies that regular internet users usually give is largely unproblematic from the moral point of view. To substantiate this claim, we rely on the idea of the right not to know (RNTK), as developed by bioethicists. Defenders of the RNTK in bioethical literature on informed consent claim that patients generally have the right to refuse medically relevant information. In this article we extend the application of the RNTK to online (...) privacy. We then argue that if internet users can be thought of as exercising their RNTK before consenting to privacy policies, their consent ought to be considered free of the standard charges leveled against it by critics. (shrink)

Landgrebe and Smith (2022) have recently offered an important mathematical argument against the possibility of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): human intelligence is a complex system; complex systems have some properties that cannot be modelled mathematically; hence we have no viable way to build an AI that would be able to emulate human intelligence. The issue of complexity is thus at the heart of the Landgrebe and Smith approach, and they tackle this issue by postulating a set of conditions, derived from (...) mathematics, for a system to be complex. I argue that Hayek’s “Theory of Complex Phenomena” offers an interesting alternative path to understanding what makes complex systems complex. This offers an argument complementary to that of Landgrebe and Smith, which approaches the issue of complexity from an ontological angle, and which is designed to show that AI systems are not the right kind of entity that may interact meaningfully with complex systems. (shrink)

In this paper I analyze the postmodern condition with particular reference to the ethical and political spheres. Postmodernism attempts a radical break with all of the major strands of post-Enlightenment thought. For postmodernists as the French Jean-François Lyotard and the Italian Gianni Vattimo, the orthodox Enlightenment “meta-narrative” of progress and the “speculative” narrative of Hegel and Marx have lost their explanatory force. In particular, Lyotard speaks about five large meta-narratives of Western culture: 1) Christianity (understood also in the secularized form (...) which its values have taken into modernity); 2) Enlightenment; 3) Idealism as a “theory of progressive freedom in history”; 4) Marxism, and 5) Capitalism. According to Lyotard, one can consider “the incredulity” towards these meta-narratives (méta-récits or grands récits) as postmodern. He points out that after Auschwitz it is impossible to speak of rationality and progress in Western history: In the twentieth century the Nazi genocide showed that history is not a continuous ethical progress towards the best. From the philosophical point of view the precursor of postmodern atmosphere is Friedrich Nietzsche. This German philosopher elaborated a radically anti-metaphysical thought and proposed an ethic of emancipation. Postmodernists refer to Nietzsche’s thought and theorize ethical-political practices aimed at the emancipation of women and socially weak subjects. Postmodernism’s rejection of “totalizing” theories with universal pretentions is complemented by positive celebration of diversity or “difference” and emphasis on the ethical demands of “the other”: this is, for example, the ethical perspective of Michel Foucault. (shrink)

The paper argues that digital ontology (the ultimate nature of reality is digital, and the universe is a computational system equivalent to a Turing Machine) should be carefully distinguished from informational ontology (the ultimate nature of reality is structural), in order to abandon the former and retain only the latter as a promising line of research. Digital vs. analogue is a Boolean dichotomy typical of our computational paradigm, but digital and analogue are only “modes of presentation” (...) of Being (to paraphrase Kant), that is, ways in which reality is experienced or conceptualised by an epistemic agent at a given level of abstraction. A preferable alternative is provided by an informational approach to structural realism, according to which knowledge of the world is knowledge of its structures. The most reasonable ontological commitment turns out to be in favour of an interpretation of reality as the totality of structures dynamically interacting with each other. The paper is the first part (the pars destruens) of a two-part piece of research. The pars construens, entitled “A Defence of Informational Structural Realism”, is developed in a separate article, also published in this journal. (shrink)

Throughout Iran and various countries, the recent calls of the “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” (in Persian), “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (in Kurdish), or “Woman, Life, Freedom” (in English) movement call for change to acknowledge the importance of women. While these feminist protests and demonstrations have been met with brutality, systematic oppression, and internet blackouts within Iran, they have captured significant social media attention and coverage outside the country, especially among the Iranian diaspora and various international organizations. This article, grounded in feminist urban (...) theories of the Global South, analyzes the digital feminist placemaking movement in Iran. As the first counter‐revolution led by women, the movement utilizes digital art, graffiti, and protest movements to embody women’s solidarity groups and sympathy rallies. Our analysis employs various digital research methods, including social media scrutiny and the study of protest illustrations. Analyzing the digital feminist placemaking in Iran will enable us to compare the commonalities, differences, challenges, and opportunities between the minorities and majorities in the world’s countries. The outcomes of this research can help international organizations such as Amnesty International and the United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women), as well as policymakers, institutions, academics, and NGOs, to highlight the various ways in which broader public participation could be encouraged in the process of digital feminist insurgent placemaking. (shrink)

The purpose of the article is to reveal the scientific approach that substantiates the impact of the creation of strategic alliances (SA) on the digital transformation of business and the development of their innovative power based on identified success factors. The aim was achieved using the following methods: abstract logic and typification (for classification of SA's success factors), generalization (to determine the peculiarities of SA's influence on their innovation development), analytical and ranking method (to determine the relationship between the (...) dynamics creating of SA and the degree of acceleration of digital transformation), expert evaluation (to determine the degree of influence of SA success factors by business areas). Implementing a business-integrated approach to understanding digital transformation will accelerate implementation of innovation and organizational change, identifies future prospects for market, customer and business relationships, highlighting the importance of researching the factors that ensure their success. An alternative vision of SA’s success factors is suggested, which are determined by the possibilities the organization of partnerships and organizational culture, integration of business sectors, compatibility of management goals, external relevance, obtaining synergies. Innovation is considered by the authors as an integration factor that reconciles all groups of SA success factors, giving them the necessary focus to solve business problems. The results of the study show that the creation of SA has a significant impact on accelerating and changes priority of digital transformation of business areas involved in strategic partnerships, and the impact of SA on the development of their innovation power is crucial. (shrink)

This paper argues that the ubiquitous digital networks in which we are increasingly becoming immersed present a threat to our ability to exercise free will. Using process philosophy, and expanding upon understandings of causal autonomy, the paper outlines a thematic analysis of diary studies and interviews gathered in a project exploring the nature of digital experience. It concludes that without mindfulness in both the use and design of digital devices and services we run the risk of allowing (...) such services to direct our daily lives in ways over which we are increasingly losing control. (shrink)

Capitalism is defined as the economic structure in which decisions over production are largely made by or on behalf of individuals in virtue of their private property ownership, subject to the incentives and constraints of market competition. In this paper, I will argue that considerations of long-term welfare, such as those developed by Greaves and MacAskill (2021), support anticapitalism in a weak sense (reducing the extent to which the economy is capitalistic) and perhaps support anticapitalism in a stronger sense (...) (establishing an alternative economic structure in which capitalism is not predominant). I hope to encourage longtermists to give anticapitalism serious consideration, and to encourage anticapitalists to pursue criticisms of capitalism’s efficiency as well as its injustices. (shrink)

In the popular and academic literature on the problems of the so-called attention economy, the cost of attention grabbing, sustaining, and immersing digital medias has been addressed as if it touched all people equally. In this paper I ask whether everyone has the same resources to respond to the recent changes in their stimulus environments caused by the attention economy. I argue that there are not only differences but disparities between people in their responses to the recent, significant increase (...) in the degree and persuasiveness of digital distraction. I point toward individual variance in an agent’s top-down and bottom-up attention regulation, and to further inequality-exacerbating variance in active participation on the internet and in regulating reward-seeking behaviors on the internet. Individual differences in these areas amount to disparities because they have been found to be connected to socioeconomic background factors. I argue that disparities in responding to digital distraction threaten fair equality of opportunity when it comes to digital distraction in the classroom and that they may lead to an unequal contribution of achievements that require complex cognition by people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. (shrink)

As ever more advanced digital systems are created, it becomes increasingly likely that some of these systems will be digital minds, i.e. digital subjects of experience. With digital minds comes the risk of digital suffering. The problem of digital suffering is that of mitigating this risk. We argue that the problem of digital suffering is a high stakes moral problem and that formidable epistemic obstacles stand in the way of solving it. We then (...) propose a strategy for solving it: Access Monitor Prevent (AMP). AMP uses a ‘dancing qualia’ argument to link the functional states of certain digital systems to their experiences—this yields epistemic access to digital minds. With that access, we can prevent digital suffering by only creating advanced digital systems that we have such access to, monitoring their functional profiles, and preventing them from entering states with functional markers of suffering. After introducing and motivating AMP, we confront limitations it faces and identify some options for overcoming them. We argue that AMP fits especially well with—and so provides a moral reason to prioritize—one approach to creating such systems: whole brain emulation. We also contend that taking other paths to digital minds would be morally risky. (shrink)

Digital duplicates reduce the scarcity of individuals and thus may impact their instrumental and intrinsic value. I here expand upon this idea by introducing the notion of collective scarcity, which pertains to the limitations faced by social groups in maintaining their size, cohesion, and function.