As one can imagine the scope was wide, intense and immensely variegated and it was possible to commute between the different conferences depending on ones interest. The plenary sessions were joint ventures, addressed by international scholars of great ability and repute on themes of real interdisciplinary relevance that offer ample food for thought for the Information Scientist and for those interested in endeavours of Informatization. The central theme may be the focus on the impact, role, usefulness, developments and exploration of technical developments (that include Cybernetics, Systemics, Engineering, Informatics and Technical innovation) in academic, scientific, social and individual contexts – a vast field indeed.  

 

Themes addressed: The tension and complementary perspectives on knowledge generated from both the natural and the human sciences; The problem of disciplining trans-disciplinarity; Top-down and bottom-up leadership in order to improve the effectiveness of technology in learning processes;  Cybernetics and design with a special focus on the introduction of a conversational model away from the codified and mechanical; the immense value of intellectual expositions and explorations; the redefinition of infinity with the aid of mathematics and computer science.

 

The scope of the multi-conferences is simply to vast and overwhelming to give an overview. Insight into contributions and the programmes is available in my office.

 

My own contribution was on the theme: Human/posthuman.

 

 

This presentation wants to consider the Cartesian, Kantian and Hegelian view of the human being, as an absolute, self-certain, unified being, equipped with a positive self-image, and to take us away from that view and its inadequacies, and to take us into new perspectives on the understanding of what it means to be human. These new perspectives may take us forward in a more significant way than what used to be the case.

 

A twofold approach is called for. On the one hand the redefinition of humanness in terms of the notion of ‘the death of man’ will be considered as new theories of human subjectivity have been developed in recent decades by a number of philosophers.

 

On the other hand, the re-description of the human being under the impact of electronic media, the emergence of the so-called post-human, or the trans-human as some called it, will be attended to. The difference between these respective “images of man” will be explored together with the implications for inter-human relations. What image of the human person do we encounter here and to what extent does this image differ from the Platonic and Cartesian images in particular?

 

It seems clear that a new social dynamics is suggested by these developments. A re-thinking of the ethical, of human fallibility and mortality is unavoidable, especially as it is promoted by those who believe that human consciousness can effectively be downloaded into computers. Would this mean the realisation of a scientific fact, the expression of an ideological rhetoric, or the display of fictional discourse?

 

If I have ever been convinced about the acute relevance of the work that I am doing on the specific theme “what does it mean to be human” and about how to define human beings in different contexts (especially in the context of Information Science),  and about how technical developments challenge our accepted and ‘standardised’ views of what it means to be human, it is now, after these conferences and in view of the comments, exchanges and communications related to my presentation, but also outside my presentation. It was an absolute encouragement for me to pursue this theme even more intensely in my future work!