(Infocracy) Byung-Chul Han: Algorithms, Bots, and the End of Rational Discourse

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Күн бұрын

In this video, I go over chapter 1 and some of chapter 2 from one of Han's somewhat recently released books. #AI #artificialintelligence #democracy
My Goodreads' Review:
This is one of his best, but as always I have counter-arguments and questions for him. Basically his critique is always aimed toward post-modernism, how a crisis in truth means a crisis in society and so we are the new nihilists. It is no longer Plato's cave that you can leave or return to in order to save others (Han mourns), but it is a succession of caves. Choose your cave: it doesn't matter. Therefore democracy itself is faltering as well as civilization where freedom, will and autonomy are possible because in order to have a populous and enact political acts, you need a shared knowledge, spaces and desire for discursive communication, and a grounding. Rather he sees humanity as fragmented and having lost the desire for truth. I find his take on the pandemic interesting because he seems to have not noticed the frequent references to 1984, which Han dismisses as having no relevance for our current existential pathologies. I wonder what exactly he is labeling as conspiracy theories, which he says are comforting micro-narratives, which I guess means they aren't actual narratives of the type Han wants. Where Han sees humanity moving toward Huxley's The Brave New World, I wonder if the post-modern era is not simply a time where the elements of system are temporarily upset to move into a more orderly but new structure, as history has always toggled between some version of order and chaos. I'm not sure if I feel this time is eternal leading us toward something apocalyptic, but instead would argue the dialectic of death and rebirth continues. Still, interesting ideas, and in a tight 60 pages, he is more focused than he has been in awhile, so well done, Han. I still think he takes Foucault out of context most of the time and some of his criticisms of philosophers of the past and "what they failed to see/predict" tends toward a lack of generosity.
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@Ianjames1066 5 ай бұрын

BCH' writings capture the essence of the onslaught of anticipated chaos that algorithms, AI, bots, ad infinitum... nice synopsis 🌋

@philosophy_schilling 5 ай бұрын

Well said!

@PHDEEP 7 ай бұрын

This is a case where the recommendation algorithms worked perfectly. I run a blog on philosophy in the Russian-language segment of KZfaq and critically comprehend the neoliberal subject (including through Byung-Chul Han optics). I commend you for your coverage of his work. This is great.

@philosophy_schilling 7 ай бұрын

That's great! Glad to have you here. Feel free to drop your blog URL if you feel comfortable - I would like to check it out.

@averageguy5815 5 ай бұрын

Just wanted to say I really enjoy your videos!

@philosophy_schilling 5 ай бұрын

Danke schön. If you have any suggested works/topics that you want me to cover, feel free to let me know.

@dovrob Жыл бұрын

I liked ur review, especially the observation that productivity of debate is inversely correlated with the certainty and assertiveness of the debators

@philosophy_schilling Жыл бұрын

Nice articulation. You said it better than I could. Thank you.

@GavinskisTutorials 5 ай бұрын

Thanks! I love Byung Chul-Han! I think it is worth mentioning that the ‘-ocracy’ part of the term ‘infocracy’ does not refer to democracy, specifically, which you seemed to suggest in your intro. ‘-ocracy’ can refer to any kind of government or rule. So, for example, ‘aristocracy’ means ‘rule by the elite’, ‘autocracy’ means concentration of power in the hands of a particular individual, eg a dictator, ‘theocracy’ is rule by the Church, priests etc. So democracy is only one particular use of that suffix, among many, and ‘ocracy’ in the title does not refer only to democracy but to all mechanisms of power.

@philosophy_schilling 5 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'm always forgetting the meaning. Your description is perfect.

@GavinskisTutorials 5 ай бұрын

@@philosophy_schilling no worries! Yeah reading a bunch of Han at the moment so I might end up watching one of your other vids on him, such an interesting thinker, cheers!

@philosophy_schilling Жыл бұрын

My question to all: How integrated is AI into our daily lives that most people might be unaware of?

@ThreeChordDave Жыл бұрын

A surprising amount of help/customer service lines are now AI run, especially chat support.

@andrewbrindle5346 Жыл бұрын

I would say the Internet uses AI to 'direct' us with advertising etc. Big data will always easily indicate the main themes/discourses, but then many minority/alternative traces are lost. I find it more sinister when law inforcement agencies use it when considering the potentiality of crime.

@wandamishmash 4 ай бұрын

There’s not many videos on this philosopher so thank you for creating a video about it! Unsolicited request though: perhaps the mic settings can be tweaked so that the s-sounds aren’t as sibilant? It’s a bit too much for people who have sensory issues 😬🙏

@philosophy_schilling 4 ай бұрын

Thanks. I will try a sound filter next video. Let me know if it is better.

@wandamishmash 4 ай бұрын

@@philosophy_schilling thank you for your consideration! 💜💜💜

@TheTeamdom 7 ай бұрын

Great review ❤ and plus for having a Rudolf Steiner book in the front. I'd like this also in 1/3 of the length, so please consider shortening upcoming reviews into 20 mins.

@philosophy_schilling 7 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! I will def. consider prepping more ahead of time so I can shorten to 20 min. Thanks for the suggestion. What have you read of Rudolf Steiner?

@carlh.h.2242 6 ай бұрын

Is it possible to disconnect the postmodern (social) from the neoliberal (economic)? To me, they exist as indispensable parts of the same elite power consolidation project. A critique of one compels a critique of the other.

@philosophy_schilling 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your question. Yes, I think so. To me, postmodernism wants to deconstruct to understand more deeply but also create space for something new. A lot of the postmodernists dabbled in Marxism. I think Han is coming from a very specific place of privilege himself where he has the privilege live somewhat away from the noise and chaos that he connects with the neoliberal agenda. I think postmodernism doesn't always have to mean elite power, but I see it more as critiquing the elite.

@carlh.h.2242 6 ай бұрын

@@philosophy_schilling Thank you for your answer. I agree, mostly. To me, the trick is finding a space for “something new” that is outside the neoliberal marketplace and not captured or created by that marketplace. I’m not aware of a postmodern thinker who has a solid answer for that, but maybe there is one.

@davidlee6720 7 ай бұрын

Through KZfaq am finding so many intelligent women explicating the intricacies of philosophy now - quiet intimidating sometimes!

@philosophy_schilling 7 ай бұрын

You must have also seen Dr. Ellie Anderson's as well. She's great! Drop some names if you want. Thanks!

@davidlee6720 7 ай бұрын

Yes ,seen Ellie. She makes even the most abstruse language understandable. Philosophers themselves not always being the most lucid of writers!

@intellectually_lazy 6 ай бұрын

info with the suffix cracy meaning rule by

@philosophy_schilling 6 ай бұрын

Thanks. That is helpful.

@abubakr2981 3 ай бұрын

The Betrayal by Technology A Portrait of Jacques Ellul - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eLVzp9he177KgJ8.html

@philosophy_schilling 3 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@vulpespersona Жыл бұрын

Automatic for the Agencies.

@philosophy_schilling Ай бұрын

Is that an 80s band?

@duartesilvaaa1 4 ай бұрын

This is probably one of the worst and most deluded books i was forced to read.

@philosophy_schilling 4 ай бұрын

Did you have to read it for a college class?

@duartesilvaaa1 4 ай бұрын

@@philosophy_schilling yes, the problem is i dont see how it fits in with the class and to what extent im being forced to read it because of my teachers political views. maybe my review is unfair, because i read it but somehow i was feeling blunt or some way i cant explain in another language, but the words i read just didnt ressonate with my perception of reality. how come he calls it capitalism when its widely known about governament interferance in that sector? how is it that the US is in decline when it´s at the peak it´s hegemony (im more with Francis Fukuyama on this one)? how is the opening of communist countries like the soviet union (which fell apart) and China to global trade a transformation instead of an admition of defeat like it was Lenin´s NEP

@duartesilvaaa1 4 ай бұрын

@@philosophy_schilling well, i haven´t even seen your full video yet, maybe i´ll get the point by the end of it

@philosophy_schilling 4 ай бұрын

Interesting. What class was it? Hopefully you all had a good conversation where you were able to get your thoughts/opinions voiced and responded to. Han tends to be quite polemical and dualistic and doesn't feel the need to address many counterarguments, so sometimes it does feel as if he is coming from a vastly unique viewpoint. As for capitalism, I think it is specifially fetishized, extreme capitalism, which he labels as 'neoliberal.' It is kind of frustrating to read his books because you are left without an opportunity to challenge Han on certain points. Thanks for sharing.

@philosophy_schilling 4 ай бұрын

Thanks. I'll be interested in knowing what you thought about some of my responses. I definitely don't always agree with him, but I think a part of reading with a spirit of generosity is to attempt to see from his perspective.