180028 SE Readings in Political Cybernetics (2022W)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 12.09.2022 09:00 to Mo 19.09.2022 10:00
- Registration is open from Fr 23.09.2022 09:00 to Fr 30.09.2022 10:00
- Deregistration possible until Mo 31.10.2022 23:59
Details
max. 25 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Thursday 20.10. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
- Friday 11.11. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
- Friday 25.11. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
- Friday 16.12. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 31 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
- Friday 13.01. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
- Friday 27.01. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Cybernetics is both a historical scientific field and a general worldview. Martin Heidegger once famously proclaimed that cybernetics represents the end of philosophy, understood as Western Metaphysics. It is the end of philosophy because metaphysical thinking is overcome by the global technical system in which we live. It therefore encapsulates and influences many aspects of our lives: our work (think of electronic performance management), love life (think of all those dating apps), social life (think of social media), but also, and perhaps foremost, political life. It is even with political life that original cybernetic thinking started, namely in the work by philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, who likened political governance to the steering of a ship, in which the primary role way played by the Kubernetes, the pilot.This course focuses on the political implications of the cybernetic worldview: how cybernetics informs our thinking about politics, but also how our political systems are shaped by cybernetic principles.The course focuses on a number of core readings that should give students a comprehensive insight into the topic of political cybernetics. It starts with an exploration of the origins of political cybernetics in political philosophy. Continuing, it looks at a variety of philosophical critiques aimed at evaluating the significance of the cybernetic paradigm. The course then turns to exploring historical examples of cybernetic systems used in governance, such as Cybersyn in Chile. Following this, it looks at how cybernetics has impacted contemporary political and legal philosophy, such as the thought of Carl Schmitt. With this in mind, the course discusses several paradigmatic cybernetic systems that have emerged in the 21st century:The course uses methods of philosophical reflection, argumentation, empirical and historical research, and political philosophy.
Assessment and permitted materials
• 25% of the grade will reflect your attendance. If you attend all the sessions, you will get the full grade for this part.
• 25% of the grade will consist of a presentation of one of the readings, which you will have to prepare with a fellow student. You get the full grade for this part if you:
o Summarize the text in a structured and comprehensive manner.
o Raise at least three well-informed critical points for in-class discussion.
• 25% of the grade will consist of half-term essay on a topic of your choosing. This essay will be max. 2000 words in length, and you get the full grade for this part if you:
o Come up with an original and clear argument to defend.
o Structure the essay in the proper way (with an abstract, introduction, core, and conclusion).
o Use the readings in a convincing way to illustrate or strengthen your argument.
o Find 2-4 additional readings that illuminate parts of your argument.
o Apply proper referencing, with in-line citations and a correctly formatted bibliography.
• 25% of the grade will consist of an end of term essay on a topic of your choosing. This essay will be max. 2000 words, and the criteria for getting the full grade for this part are the same as for the first essay.
• 25% of the grade will consist of a presentation of one of the readings, which you will have to prepare with a fellow student. You get the full grade for this part if you:
o Summarize the text in a structured and comprehensive manner.
o Raise at least three well-informed critical points for in-class discussion.
• 25% of the grade will consist of half-term essay on a topic of your choosing. This essay will be max. 2000 words in length, and you get the full grade for this part if you:
o Come up with an original and clear argument to defend.
o Structure the essay in the proper way (with an abstract, introduction, core, and conclusion).
o Use the readings in a convincing way to illustrate or strengthen your argument.
o Find 2-4 additional readings that illuminate parts of your argument.
o Apply proper referencing, with in-line citations and a correctly formatted bibliography.
• 25% of the grade will consist of an end of term essay on a topic of your choosing. This essay will be max. 2000 words, and the criteria for getting the full grade for this part are the same as for the first essay.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
• You will need to attend at least 4 out of the 6 sessions.
• You will need to do the presentation of one of the readings.
• You will need to hand in the two essays.
• You will need to do the presentation of one of the readings.
• You will need to hand in the two essays.
Examination topics
• The basics of cybernetics
• Cybernetics as a political epistemology and ontology
• Cybernetics and computer science
• Cybernetic governance in Cybersyn
• Soviet experiments in cybernetic governance
• The influence of cybernetics on political theory
• Modern systems for cybernetic governance
• Cybernetics as a political epistemology and ontology
• Cybernetics and computer science
• Cybernetic governance in Cybersyn
• Soviet experiments in cybernetic governance
• The influence of cybernetics on political theory
• Modern systems for cybernetic governance
Reading list
The following list is a selection of the readings:
• Winner, L. (1969). Cybernetics and Political Language. Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 14(1969), 1–17.
• Pickering, A. (2002). Cybernetics and the Mangle: Ashby, Beer and Pask. Social Studies of Science, 32(3), 413–437. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312702032003003
• Medina, E. (2011). Cybernetic Revolutionaries: Technology and Politics in Allende’s Chile. MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
• Bates, D. (2020). The political theology of entropy: A Katechon for the cybernetic age. History of the Human Sciences, 33(1), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952695119864237
• Reijers, W., Orgad, L., & Filippi, P. de. (2022). The Rise of Cybernetic Citizenship. Citizenship Studies, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13621025.2022.2077567
• Tiqqun. (2001). The Cybernetic Hypothesis.
• Winner, L. (1969). Cybernetics and Political Language. Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 14(1969), 1–17.
• Pickering, A. (2002). Cybernetics and the Mangle: Ashby, Beer and Pask. Social Studies of Science, 32(3), 413–437. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312702032003003
• Medina, E. (2011). Cybernetic Revolutionaries: Technology and Politics in Allende’s Chile. MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
• Bates, D. (2020). The political theology of entropy: A Katechon for the cybernetic age. History of the Human Sciences, 33(1), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952695119864237
• Reijers, W., Orgad, L., & Filippi, P. de. (2022). The Rise of Cybernetic Citizenship. Citizenship Studies, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13621025.2022.2077567
• Tiqqun. (2001). The Cybernetic Hypothesis.
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Th 29.09.2022 18:28