180027 VO-L Media, Technology, and Romanticism (2019S)

Technology and romanticism are usually seen as opposed, also in philosophy of technology. Delving into the history of technology and the history of thinking about technology from the early Romantics to hippie computing and beyond, this course questions this assumption and invites to study and reflect on the relation between technology and romanticism. Exploring links between 19th century monsters, 20th century cyborgs, and contemporary magic devices, this course will provide opportunities for students to get more familiar with the rich history of romanticism and technology, and to use this knowledge for evaluating contemporary technologies and thinking about the future of our relation to technology.