‘Digital surveillance’ from the perspective of ‘Christian Freedom’ : a theological assessment in conversation with Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Digital surveillance as a dominant phenomenon of current life is increasingly coming under scrutiny by sociological and economic research because of its impact on individuals and societies. Theologians can contribute to this discourse through their focus on the human-divine relationship and its ethical implications. This thesis investigates in what way Christian freedom according to the Lutheran tradition can speak critically and constructively to the problematic aspects of digital monitoring. To this end the practice of pervasive data harvesting and processing by state and commercial operators is placed within a wider framework of historical, cultural, political, social, economic and technological parameters. This analysis raises serious concerns about governance, the handling of power and the role of technology, but also about human dignity, the notion of human freedom and the overall understanding of the human person as such. The dilemma of an adequate response to these challenges has to do with human ambiguity, resignation and dependency on the digital medium. The subsequent exploration of Christian freedom first relies on Luther’s seminal considerations on freedom, which reflect his God-related anthropology. As a divine gift of grace, granting justification, forgiveness and a liberated existence in Christ, freedom is realized as loving commitment to others in faithfulness towards God. In society, freedom unfolds its dynamic within the twofold rule of God in the worldly and the spiritual kingdom. Bonhoeffer portrays freedom as anchored in the reconciliation reality revealed in Christ, characterizing it as ‘creaturely freedom’ for God, from creation and for others. It is the basis for a new humanity in conformation to Christ and a life that is determined by accountability before God and mutual human responsibility. The ethical claim embodied in ‘the other’ is honoured in love and obedience towards the divine will and in vicarious representative action for others. To describe the specific tasks of Christians and government in society, Bonhoeffer leans on Luther’s twokingdoms- approach, appropriating it for his own time. A Reformation-based theology thus identifies the worldview of the digital surveillance paradigm as strongly self-referential and devoid of a transcendent perspective. This results in an inappropriate view of the human person and a self-centred concept of freedom, which abets the neglect of others, the avoiding of responsibility and the danger of dispensing with moral considerations. Christian freedom constitutes an antidote, emphasizing the gift-character of human life, the liberation from perpetual self-justification and the inescapable judgement of data permanence through God’s judgement of grace. In rejecting the utilitarian calculus of digital abstraction, it affirms the wholeness and value of individual personhood. Against ideas of freedom as convenience, predictability and risk-free safety and its side-effects of dependency and (self)objectification, freedom is upheld as reciprocity, grounded in bonds of trust, wherein responsibility is embraced as divine empowerment to serve others and for genuine ‘self-realization’. This approach can represent an alternative way of living and acting in a digitally dominated world. The critical assessment of digital surveillance shows the urgent need to find agreement on certain values based on a shared experience of humanity.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Digitale bewaking, as ’n dominante fenomeen van die hedendaagse lewe, is toenemend die onderwerp van sosiologiese en ekonomiese navorsing vanweë die impak op individue en samelewings. Teoloë kan tot hierdie diskoers bydra deur hulle fokus op die verhouding tussen mens en God en die etiese implikasies daarvan. Hierdie tesis ondersoek in watter opsig Christelike vryheid volgens die Lutherse tradisie krities en konstruktief uitspraak lewer oor die problematiese aspekte van digitale monitering. Vir hierdie doel word die praktyk van omvattende data-insameling en -verwerking deur staats- en kommersiële operateurs binne ’n breë historiese, kulturele, politieke, sosiale, ekonomiese en tegnologiese raamwerk gestel. Hierdie analise wek ernstige kommer oor bestuursgedrag, die hantering van mag en die rol van tegnologie, maar ook oor menswaardigheid, die konsep van menslike vryheid en die verstaan van die mens in die algemeen. Die dilemma van ’n gepaste antwoord op hierdie uitdagings het te make met menslike ambivalensie, oorgawe aan en afhanklikheid van die digitale medium. Die daaropvolgende ondersoek van Christelike vryheid maak eerstens staat op Luther se seminale oorwegings wat sy God-verwante antropologie reflekteer. Vryheid word beskou as ’n goddelike gawe van genade, die skenk van regverdiging, vergifnis en ’n bevryde bestaan in Christus. Dit word verwerklik in ’n liefdevolle verbondenheid met ander mense wat uit getroudheid aan God spruit. In die samelewing ontsluit vryheid sy dinamiek binne die tweevoudige heerskappy van God in die wêreldse en die geestelike koninkryk. Bonhoeffer beeld vryheid uit as geanker in die werklikheid van versoening soos in Christus geopenbaar. Hy karakteriseer dit as ‘vryheid van die kreatuur’ vir God, vanuit die skepping en ter wille van ander. Dit is die basis vir ’n nuwe menslikheid in ooreenstemming met Christus en ’n lewe wat bepaal word deur aanspreeklikheid teenoor God en wedersydse menslike verantwoordelikheid. Die etiese aanspraak beliggaam in ‘die ander’ word eerbiedig in liefde en gehoorsamheid teenoor die goddelike wil en in die plaasvervangende verteenwoordiging vir ander. In sy beskrywing van die spesifieke take van Christene en regerings in die samelewing, steun Bonhoeffer op Luther se twee-koninkryke-benadering en pas dit aan vir sy eie tyd ’n Reformasie-gebaseerde teologie identifiseer dus die wêreldbeeld van die digitale bewakingsparadigma as sterk self-verwysend en sonder ’n transendente perspektief. Dit lei tot ’n misplaaste opvatting van die mens en ’n self-behepte voorstelling van vryheid wat die verontagsaming van ander, vermyding van verantwoordelikheid en die gevaar van die minagting van morele oorwegings bevorder. Christelike vryheid stel ’n teenmiddel daar wat die geskenk-karakter van die menslike lewe beklemtoon asook die bevryding van permanente selfregverdiging en van die onontkombare oordeel van datapermanensie deur God se oordeel van genade bewerkstellig. Deur nuttigheidslogika van digitale abstraksie te verwerp, bevestig Christelike vryheid die integriteit en waarde van individuele persoonskap. Teenoor die idees van vryheid as gerieflikheid, voorspelbaarheid en risikolose veiligheid, met sy newe-effekte van afhanklikheid en (self)objektivering, word vryheid as wederkerig verstaan, gegrond in ’n vertrouensverbond, waarbinne verantwoordelikheid aangegryp word as goddelike bemagtiging om ander te dien en ware self-verwesentliking te bereik. Hierdie benadering verteenwoordig ’n alternatiewe manier om binne ’n digitale wêreld te leef en te handel. Die kritiese ontleding van digitale bewaking toon die dringende behoefte om ooreenstemming te vind oor sekere waardes wat op ’n gedeelte ondervinding van menswees gebaseer is.Doctora

Adaptation of domestic state governance to international governance models

The purpose of the article is to provide the evolving international trends of modern management models and authorial vision of model of state governance system in Ukraine, its subsystems, in particular, the system of provision of administrative services that is appropriate for the contemporary times. Methodology. On the basis of scientific and theoretical approaches to the definitions of terms “state governance” and “public governance”, there was an explanation of considerable difference between them and, taking into consideration, the mentality of Ukrainian society and peculiar weak side in self-organization, the authors offered to form authorial model of governance on the basis of historically traditional for Ukraine model of state governance and to add some elements of management concepts that proved their significance, efficiency and priority in practice. Results. The authors emphasized the following two prevailing modern management models in the international practice: “new state management” and “good governance”. The first concept offered for consideration served as a basis for the semantic content of state activity that reflects more the state of administrative reformation. Practical meaning. A practical introduction of management to the domestic model of governance creates the range of contradictions that do not allow implementing herein concept. Pursuant to authors, the second one allows in considerable measure to reform state governance, considering historically developed peculiarities of this model. Moreover, the involvement of concept herein into introduction of informational and communicational technologies in the process of governance eliminates the necessity of power decentralization, it allows to form real net structure and, at the same, to keep vertical power structure, to involve citizens for formation and taking of management decisions, to form electronic communicational channel of feedback, to provide citizens with electronic administrative services. All indicated advantages of the concept certify about the necessity to reform state governance exactly in this field. Meaning/ Distinction. This article raises a question about the significance of formation and sequence of state policy in Ukraine aimed at creating an information-oriented society, space, as well as informational and technological infrastructure

Net structure of subject-to-subject relations in the management of the system of administrative services provision

The purpose of the work is to form the net structure of management of the system of administrative services provision on the basis of implementation of subject-to-subject interactions between state sector and civil society. Methodology. The methodology basis for the investigation is the abstract-logical analysis of theoretical and methodological backgrounds for management of relations and interactions. For the theoretical generalization and formation of net structure, there are used scientific recommendations of Ukrainian scientists regarding the necessity to implement subject-to-subject relations in the system of administrative services provision. Results. The investigations allowed confirming that the hierarchical structure of the state governance system does not give an opportunity to implement equal interaction between a subject of provision and a subject of an appeal as these relations have one – way communication and the feedback channel has a formal character. Moreover, the civil society is not considered by state sector to be a source of methods and ways to develop the system of state governance, in particular, the management system of administrative services provision. Practical meaning. The net structure of management will allow implementing the subject-subject relations in the system, under which the actions of the subject of provision – that means state sector – will be directed to the realization of rights and interests of the subjects of appeal. In their turn, apart from the performance of all legislative responsibilities that they should perform, they can carry out activities directed to the development of management activity in the system of administrative services provision and the whole system of state governance as an integral system of management. Meaning/Distinction. The provided model of the net structure will allow involving citizens in the processes of state governance and increasing the impact of the civil sector during the making of state and management decisions and, as a result, to confirm subject-to-subject positions in the relations

2006 Major Sponsored Program and Faculty Awards for Research & Creative Activity

Awards of $3 million or more Awards of$1 million to $2,999,999 Awards of$200,000 to $999,999 Career and K Awards Arts and Humanities Awards of$50,000 or more Arts and Humanities Awards of $5,000 to$49,999 Patents Issued Intellectual Property Licences Creative Works in Fine and Performing Arts Books Recognitions and Honors Glossary of Federal Agency Abbreviations This is the fifth annual “Major Sponsored Program and Faculty Awards for Research and Creative Activity” report. This booklet highlights the successes of University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty during 2006. The funding sources, projects and investigators on major grants and sponsored program awards received during the year are listed, as well as patents issued; published books and scholarship; fellowships and other recognitions; intellectual property licenses; and performances and exhibitions in the fine and performing arts. This impressive list grows each year and I am pleased to present evidence of our faculties’ accomplishments. During FY2005-06, we achieved a funding milestone — UNL faculty attracted $104.6 million in external funding to the institution. This is the first time we exceeded$100 million and this in fact tripled the comparable figure achieved ten years ago. How have we reached this success? We have worked to closely integrate our research priorities with our established programs of excellence building on each success. We zealously foster interdisciplinary research and collaborations with public and private partnerships, thus expanding our economic development efforts by working with business and industry. And we celebrate our achievements and recognize that excellence attracts excellence. This booklet reports only the largest dollar amounts as reported through our Office of Sponsored Programs. However, the majority of our research and creative activity is conducted by single investigators and scholars who are pioneering new frontiers across all fields. Many faculty obtain funding at levels below the significantly high thresholds set for inclusion in this report. This in no way diminishes their scholarly contributions and we are proud of all faculty achievement

Carbon Neutral County Durham: A Review of County Durham’s Low Carbon Sustainable Resource Base in Order to Become Carbon Neutral by 2050

In February 2019, Durham County Council declared a climate emergency in recognition that without action, global warming will continue on its current trajectory of 3C warming, causing disastrous effects. The target was agreed that County Durham would become carbon neutral by the year 2050. Aside from energy saving, carbon removal, and offset measures, this project details the technical potential low carbon, sustainable resource base that County Durham has in order to meet the county’s current energy demand of ~10,500 GWh/yr. This resource base includes; mine water, deep geothermal, photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind, biomass, waste, hydrogen, hydropower, and tidal energy. Analysis of these resources covers how the resource works, what the resource depends upon, the energy potential in County Durham, possible limitations, land use, economics, and the learnings taken from relevant case studies. This study found that County Durham has an uneven low carbon sustainable energy mix, which favours the production of electricity and heat rather than alternative transport fuels. To decarbonise the heating sector, County Durham has a large mine water energy resource that has the potential to heat up to the equivalent of 91% of the homes in the county. If County Durham initially invested in mine water energy with other resources such as domestic solar thermal systems and heat pumps, this would allow time for the current gas networks to be repurposed for a hybrid hydrogen network. This hybrid network would remove mine water’s limitation of proximity to the source. Due to land constraints, there is no realistic alternative to transport fuels available from low carbon resources in County Durham whilst hydrogen, remains within its infancy as a major transport fuel energy source. Transport is therefore likely to require electrification which matches the UK’s current plans. To produce enough electricity to decarbonise the electricity and transport sector, a mixture of offshore/onshore wind energy, photovoltaics, domestic energy projects, and a biorefinery would be required. The proportion of this mixture depends upon if land and/or economic investment is prioritised

Deterministic Artificial Intelligence

Kirchhoff’s laws give a mathematical description of electromechanics. Similarly, translational motion mechanics obey Newton’s laws, while rotational motion mechanics comply with Euler’s moment equations, a set of three nonlinear, coupled differential equations. Nonlinearities complicate the mathematical treatment of the seemingly simple action of rotating, and these complications lead to a robust lineage of research culminating here with a text on the ability to make rigid bodies in rotation become self-aware, and even learn. This book is meant for basic scientifically inclined readers commencing with a first chapter on the basics of stochastic artificial intelligence to bridge readers to very advanced topics of deterministic artificial intelligence, espoused in the book with applications to both electromechanics (e.g. the forced van der Pol equation) and also motion mechanics (i.e. Euler’s moment equations). The reader will learn how to bestow self-awareness and express optimal learning methods for the self-aware object (e.g. robot) that require no tuning and no interaction with humans for autonomous operation. The topics learned from reading this text will prepare students and faculty to investigate interesting problems of mechanics. It is the fondest hope of the editor and authors that readers enjoy the book

Augmenting Workplace Wellness Programs with Biometric Monitoring

This annotated bibliography contains recent research describing the practices, policies, risks, and results regarding employer-sponsored wellness programs in the United States that are increasingly augmented with biometric monitoring features such as fitness trackers. The goal of this study is to improve the understanding of common risks and shortcomings so that individuals designing or augmenting wellness programs have improved chances of achieving success in helping employees reach positive health outcomes

Advanced Information Systems and Technologies

This book comprises the proceedings of the V International Scientific Conference "Advanced Information Systems and Technologies, AIST-2017". The proceeding papers cover issues related to system analysis and modeling, project management, information system engineering, intelligent data processing computer networking and telecomunications. They will be useful for students, graduate students, researchers who interested in computer science

Information Technology and Wealth: Cybernetics, History and Economics

Capitalism developed where and when it did because there was high information access. There was high information access because of a major advance in information technology--the press. Where the technology was not controlled by the powers that be there was economic growth and a shift in the entire social structure. Where it was controlled there was no structural change and there was economic ruin. The development of capitalism is a major step change in economic growth. It is also a major change in the way people organize themselves into groups. Major step changes in the growth and in the organization of cultures are found to be related to the introduction and use of information technology. The limit to growth is the limit of effective use of information or the variety limit. Economies are able to grow once the variety limit is raised. Information technology allows people to increase their individual variety in relation to the amount of information processed. This increase in individual variety allows the entire society to grow. Where there is high access to information through technology there is much growth and where there is less information access, through control of technology there is less economic growth. When a high access economy is in competition for resources with a low access economy the high access economy will be more economically successful. A causal loop model is developed from a rich picture of the phenomena. The model is applied back to the press and forward to the telegraph and telephone and used to predict the impact of the current information revolution. One of the implications of information technology is that it allows people to model things better. This, in turn, implies that the perception of reality is dependent on the ability to model. Modeling a technology which is concerned with modeling therefore changes the perception of reality