180092 FS Philosophy of Technology and Performance (2017W)

This course explores relations between philosophy of technology and performance broadly construed. The guiding question throughout the course will be what philosophers of technology can learn from the study and practice of performance, dance, theatre, music, etc. for understanding technology. Drawing on literature on the intersection of both fields, the purpose of the course is not to do philosophy of performance, but rather to use performance as a concept to better understand our dealings with technology and to investigate more deeper, intimate conceptual links between on the one hand theory and practice in philosophy and on the other hand theory and practice in performance. Discussion will be centered on specific themes and their relation to thinking about technology: embodiment, knowledge, movement, choreography, power, feminism, performance as philosophy, and philosophy as performance. Several didactical tools are used to enhance understanding in these areas: lecture/instruction, student presentations, discussions in class, and writing of a paper, including extended feedback sessions that aim at facilitating mutual learning and further intellectual development in this area.