Christian Anthropology in Christian Anthropology in a Technological Culturea Technological Culture

TCD April 26 2005TCD April 26 2005

Eamonn Conway Eamonn Conway Centre for Culture, Technology & ValuesCentre for Culture, Technology & Values

MIC/ULMIC/UL

Christian AnthropologyChristian Anthropology

Faith asFaith as• In-sightIn-sight• PerspectivePerspective• Faith as reason-ableFaith as reason-able

Divine Being as GraciousnessDivine Being as Graciousness• ““Letting being be” (Macquarrie)Letting being be” (Macquarrie)• Life = EX-PRESSION, Co- creativityLife = EX-PRESSION, Co- creativity

From this perspectiveFrom this perspective

Life is more about discovery than Life is more about discovery than inventioninvention

Life is fundamentally ‘gift’Life is fundamentally ‘gift’• Kennelly quotationKennelly quotation

Life has inherent meaning which Life has inherent meaning which discloses itselfdiscloses itself

Essence precedes ExistenceEssence precedes Existence

As opposed to…As opposed to…

e.g. Sartre:e.g. Sartre:• ‘For human reality, to be is to choose oneself;

nothing comes to it either from the outside or from within which it can receive or accept. Without any help whatsoever, it is entirely abandoned to the intolerable necessity of making itself be - down to the slightest detail’.

– Jean-Paul Sartre, Being and nothingness

– Life is about invention rather than discovery– Existence precedes Essence

Christian PerspectiveChristian Perspective

Issues of MeaningIssues of Meaning Issues of Morality/EthicsIssues of Morality/Ethics

MeaningMeaning

Meaning discloses itself rather than Meaning discloses itself rather than being something that is being something that is pursued/grasped;pursued/grasped;

““Letting go” as important as “being Letting go” as important as “being in control”in control”

E.G. encounter with beauty:E.G. encounter with beauty: Tend to be passive … I was… over-awed, Tend to be passive … I was… over-awed,

taken aback etctaken aback etc We experience meaningWe experience meaning

Meaning v PurposefulnessMeaning v Purposefulness

Purposefulness:Purposefulness:• GraspingGrasping• DirectingDirecting• Taking ControlTaking Control• Setting about, planning etc…Setting about, planning etc…• We achieve a purpose We achieve a purpose

Technology as we know it– very important Technology as we know it– very important in helping us to achieve purposes… in helping us to achieve purposes…

"Broadly speaking, technology is how people modify "Broadly speaking, technology is how people modify the natural world to suit their own purposes. From the natural world to suit their own purposes. From the Greek word the Greek word technetechne, meaning art or artifice or , meaning art or artifice or craft, technology literally means the act of making or craft, technology literally means the act of making or crafting, but more generally it refers to the diverse crafting, but more generally it refers to the diverse collection of processes and knowledge that people collection of processes and knowledge that people use to extend human abilities and to satisfy human use to extend human abilities and to satisfy human needs and wants."needs and wants."(Excerpt from (Excerpt from Standards for Technological LiteracyStandards for Technological Literacy, , ITEA, 2000ITEA, 2000

But e.g. Heidegger, Tillich warn of:But e.g. Heidegger, Tillich warn of:• Separation of the ontological from the Separation of the ontological from the

technical;technical;• Art from Technology;Art from Technology;• Meaning from PurposeMeaning from Purpose

Tend to…Tend to…

think of technology in a narrower and think of technology in a narrower and potentially more damaging waypotentially more damaging way• one particular kind of human creativityone particular kind of human creativity• a highly functional and purposeful engagement a highly functional and purposeful engagement

with tools or machinerywith tools or machinery• separates the activity of technologists from, for separates the activity of technologists from, for

example, those of artists with their paints or example, those of artists with their paints or writers with their pens and paper. writers with their pens and paper.

• relativises the role that these latter craftsmen relativises the role that these latter craftsmen and women play in shaping and adapting our and women play in shaping and adapting our environment for the benefit of humanity as a environment for the benefit of humanity as a whole. whole.

Leisure (otium) = right order or Leisure (otium) = right order or balance of balance of • Play and WorkPlay and Work• Meaning and PurposefulnessMeaning and Purposefulness

Business / Work/ Purposefulness Business / Work/ Purposefulness (neg-otium)(neg-otium)

A technological A technological attitudeattitude

Technology an end in itself…Technology an end in itself… Blind to issues of ultimate concernBlind to issues of ultimate concern Blinding us to issues of ultimate Blinding us to issues of ultimate

concernconcern ““To suggest that there are values To suggest that there are values

other than utility . . . is not merely other than utility . . . is not merely counter cultural. It actually seems counter cultural. It actually seems unreal.” (Kavanaugh)unreal.” (Kavanaugh)

Heidegger’s concernHeidegger’s concern

When we look at reality through the When we look at reality through the lens of technology, aspects of nature lens of technology, aspects of nature no longer appear to us as they are in no longer appear to us as they are in themselves, with intrinsic value, but themselves, with intrinsic value, but only as they are in relation to our own only as they are in relation to our own perceived needs and/or wants. Thus, perceived needs and/or wants. Thus, for example, a field ceases to be a field for example, a field ceases to be a field and becomes a coal-mine; the air is and becomes a coal-mine; the air is viewed merely as a source of nitrogen. viewed merely as a source of nitrogen.

What the poets say…What the poets say…

Is it possible that despite our Is it possible that despite our discoveries and advances, despite discoveries and advances, despite our culture, religion and science, we our culture, religion and science, we have remained on the surface of life?have remained on the surface of life?

Rainer Maria RilkeRainer Maria Rilke

People are in every way prevented People are in every way prevented from getting inside themselves. Our from getting inside themselves. Our greatest problem is a fear of depth greatest problem is a fear of depth

Thomas MertonThomas Merton

… … in the society we have created it is very difficult to give in the society we have created it is very difficult to give

your full, sustained attention to anything or anybody for your full, sustained attention to anything or anybody for

long, that we are compelled to half-do a lot of things, to long, that we are compelled to half-do a lot of things, to

half-live our lives, half-dream our dreams, half-love our half-live our lives, half-dream our dreams, half-love our

loves? We have made ourselves into half-people. Half-loves? We have made ourselves into half-people. Half-

heartedness is a slow, banal killer. It is also, paradoxically, a heartedness is a slow, banal killer. It is also, paradoxically, a

creepy pathway towards “success”, especially if the half-creepy pathway towards “success”, especially if the half-

heartedness is of the polished variety. I think it was DH heartedness is of the polished variety. I think it was DH

Lawrence who once wrote that the real tragedy of modern Lawrence who once wrote that the real tragedy of modern

man is the loss of heart. I don’t think so. I believe our man is the loss of heart. I don’t think so. I believe our

tragedy is the viability of our half-heartedness, our insured, tragedy is the viability of our half-heartedness, our insured,

mortgaged, welfare voyage of non-discovery, the mortgaged, welfare voyage of non-discovery, the

committed, corrosive involvement with forces, created by committed, corrosive involvement with forces, created by

ourselves, that ensure our lives will be half-lived. There's a ourselves, that ensure our lives will be half-lived. There's a

sad refusal here. A rejection of the unique, fragile gift.sad refusal here. A rejection of the unique, fragile gift. Brendan Kennelly, The Judas BookBrendan Kennelly, The Judas Book

Does our culture collude with us in Does our culture collude with us in the avoidance of depth?the avoidance of depth?

The possible normalisation of shallownessThe possible normalisation of shallowness Contexts for consideration:Contexts for consideration:

• The workplaceThe workplace• Advertising/MediaAdvertising/Media• MediaMedia

The soundbyteThe soundbyte The news storyThe news story

• Relationships: keeping ‘in touch’Relationships: keeping ‘in touch’ A creeping superficiality and functionality?A creeping superficiality and functionality?

Specific ICT ConcernsSpecific ICT Concerns

Digital Inclusion…Digital Inclusion… Multiple Identities: the avoidance of being Multiple Identities: the avoidance of being

fixedfixed• For a time, virtuality can spread a fog of virtual For a time, virtuality can spread a fog of virtual

confusion and blur the shape of things and events confusion and blur the shape of things and events with glamour and triviality. with glamour and triviality.

• We can lead a life (or perhaps lives) of multiplicity We can lead a life (or perhaps lives) of multiplicity and flexibility that is unattainable in real life… and flexibility that is unattainable in real life… BorgmannBorgmann

Addictiveness of InternetAddictiveness of Internet• What are we What are we notnot doing when on-line… doing when on-line…

Can technology Can technology colludecollude with us in with us in our avoidance of depth? our avoidance of depth?

The obvious contexts:The obvious contexts:• Impact of ICTs on relationshipsImpact of ICTs on relationships• Impact of computer games etc on Impact of computer games etc on

hobbies, lifestylehobbies, lifestyle• EtcEtc

• For a time, virtuality can spread a fog of For a time, virtuality can spread a fog of virtual confusion and blur the shape of virtual confusion and blur the shape of things and events with glamour and things and events with glamour and triviality. triviality.

• We can lead a life (or perhaps lives) of We can lead a life (or perhaps lives) of multiplicity and flexibility that is multiplicity and flexibility that is unattainable in real life… unattainable in real life…

BorgmannBorgmann

Technology as LiberationTechnology as Liberation

FreedomFreedom• is measured not by the extent of our independence is measured not by the extent of our independence

but by the quality of our commitment ... but by the quality of our commitment ...

D HarringtonD Harrington

• is not the ability to change constantly but the is not the ability to change constantly but the ability to “get it all together”... J Sachsability to “get it all together”... J Sachs

Technology as GiftTechnology as Gift

Both challenge and opportunityBoth challenge and opportunity