The Politics of Technology by Francois Zammit

The Politics of Technology by Francois Zammit

Technological progress and the development of new technologies impact society in ways that go beyond their initial adoption. Technological revolutions such as the invention of writing, the printing press, or the steam engine also lead to profound societal changes. This is also prominent in our age with the proliferation of new technologies such as information communication technologies and artificial intelligence.

The aim of this talk is to show how political concepts like justice and democracy should be at the forefront of our discussions on technological impact. The talk will explore forms of technological thinking such as technological utopianism or technological pessimism and address these as forms of political thinking replete with political values. Furthermore, the discussion will illustrate how contemporary political discourse is shaped by technological values.

The Speaker

François Zammit is a philosophy doctoral student at the University of Malta. His thesis discusses the political dimension of neoliberalism and its policies. His work delves into the philosophical concepts found in political economy, political theology, economic theology,  and political ontology. As a casual lecturer at the University of Malta he has delivered study units on political philosophy, and philosophy of technology.