Philosophy of Digitality: Phenomenological and Systematic Perspectives

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Jörg Noller
• Subject Area: Practical Philosophy
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 541433337

The planned scientific network, which is largely constituted by members of the "Philosophy of Digitality" working group newly founded in 2021 within the framework of the German Society for Philosophy, aims to explore the recent phenomena of digitalization as phenomena of the lifeworld, and to reflect on them from an ethical point of view. The scientific network focuses on the following three phenomena, which are to be subjected to a multi-perspective philosophical analysis in their specific networking and human-machine-machine interaction and thereby questioned with regard to their (i) ethical, (ii) anthropological and (iii) philosophical-methodological significance: (1) Artificial intelligence or machine learning: This includes automated decision-making processes, complex forms of pattern recognition, but also newer forms of human-machine interaction and robotics, which can be used in certain ethically relevant life-world areas. (2) Virtual reality: This includes complex forms of simulations that either appear as realities themselves, expand reality ("augmented reality") or represent new forms of reality. In particular, the questions of the relationship between intersubjectivity, corporeality and virtuality, but also the question of the relationship between simulation and (virtual) reality, move into the center. (3) The Internet: The phenomenal field of the internet includes, for example, social networks, but also complex epistemologies of hypertextually linked semantic knowledge systems and search engines, as well as interactive virtual spaces of action, as they currently operate under the term "metaverse", which is still in need of clarification, but also the "darknet". In light of Habermas' most recent reflections on the "new structural transformation of the public sphere", the phenomenon of the Internet will be discussed in particular from the point of view of a digital public sphere. These three phenomena cannot be exclusively assigned to one philosophical discipline. Rather, their lifeworld significance can only be determined in a philosophically transdisciplinary and multi-perspectival manner. The scientific network shall be used for this purpose.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Karoline Reinhardt