*In London, unsurprisingly.
“10 Theses on the Digital”
Alexander R. Galloway
5pm, Monday 14th May
Room LG02
New Academic Building
Goldsmiths, University of London
"Free, All Welcome
"Despite being the object of much discussion these days, the digital does not often appear in the writings of philosophers, except perhaps when it arrives unwittingly under the aegis of another name. The world of business consultancy has accepted it, as has the popular and folk culture, consumer society, telecommunications, medicine, the arts, and of course the spheres of industrial engineering and information processing (where it plays a special role). But is there an ontology of the digital, or even a philosophy of it? The goal of this project is not so much to answer such questions, but to draw up a map for what is necessary to answer them, something like a prolegomenon for future writing on digitality and philosophy.
"What is the digital exactly? The digital means the one dividing into two. Its heart lies in metaphysics, (((well, maybe that's just its liver rather than its heart, but its gotta be around in there someplace))) and adjacent philosophical systems, most importantly dialectics. (((Uh-oh. And just when I was getting used to object-orientation.))) By comparison, the analogue means the two coming together as one. It is found in theories of immanence: either the immanence of the total plane of being, or the immanence of the individual person or object. Either immanence in its infinity, or immanence in its finitude.
"The goal, then, is not so much to produce a “philosophy of the digital” or even a “digitization of philosophy.” Rather we will explore how digitality and philosophy come together, as two modal conditions. (((How many "modal conditions" are there, one wonders.))) They exist both in parallel as they diverge and differentiate themselves, but also in series as they merge and intermediate. So this project will, if it is successful, pay attention to the conceptual requirements of the digital (and by contrast the analogue) and the strictures and affordances it grants to philosophy.
"For directions: http://www.gold.ac.uk/find-us/
"Organised by Centre for Cultural Studies" http://www.gold.ac.uk/cultural-studies/
and the Department of Media and Communications http://www.gold.ac.uk/media-communications/
