E.A.I. Anxiety: Technopanic and Post-Human Potential

Robots have been a part of the imagination of Western culture for centuries. The possibility for automation and artificial life has inspired the curiosity of thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci who once designed a mechanical knight. It wasn\u27t until the 19th century that automated machinery has become realized. The confrontation between human and automation has inspired a fear, referred to as technopanic , that has been exacerbated in tandem with the evolution of technology. This thesis seeks to discover the historical precedence for these fears. I explore three modes of knowledge (Philosophy, Economics, and Film Theory) to examine the agendas behind the messages on the topic of Artificial Life, specifically Robots. I then advocate for an alternative philosophy called Post-Humanism. I argue that what is needed to alleviate the fears and anxieties of Western culture is a shift in how humanity views itself and its relation to the natural world. By structuring my thesis in this way, I identify the roots of Western humanity\u27s anthropocentric ontology first, explore the economic implications of automation second, analyze the cultural anticipations of artificial life in Western media third, and finally offer an alternative attitude and ethic as a way out of the pre-established judgments that do little to protect Western culture from E.A.I

Image of God\u27\u27 and Object Relations Theory of Human Development: Their Integration and Mutual Contribution to Development of God-Images, God-Concepts, and Relationship with God

In an endeavor to further the work of integration of psychology and theology, this theoretical-conceptual research study examined (a) the meaning of the biblical description of humanity\u27s creation in God\u27s image (Gen. 1.26-27), (b) the relationship between the conceptualization of humans as image of God and object relations theory of human development, and (c) the mutual contribution of image of God and object relational development to the internal god-images (object-representations) and cognitive god-concepts that persons develop. It was proposed that (a) creation in the image of God is foundational both to understanding humankind as a spiritual-socio-psycho-physiological species and to human object relational development, and that (b) healthy object relational development leads to mature, healthy, whole-object god-representations and the potential for mature, healthy relationship with actually existing deity. The distortion and pathology that has entered the universe and human existence influences negatively the capacity humans have to reflect accurately God\u27s likeness in their relationships, which, in turn, compromises the overall development of human object relationships. Consequently, immature or pathological object relational development may occur and affect negatively the development of all internal and external object relationships, object-representations, and cognitive concepts of objects. Internal god-images (object-representations), conscious cognitive god-conceptualizations, and relationship to actually existing deity, all may be compromised from healthy development. However, the original good design of humans as image of God leads to the potential for evaluation and correction, reparation and restoration of internal and external object relationships, and to the place of hope for lasting, positive growth and change

Imagined space : representations of the future city in science fiction short stories by Forster, Ballard and Gibson /

Dissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão

Doing good while playing : the effects of corporate social responsibility gamification on consumer response

This dissertation research explored how CSR functions in a new media platform. Specifically, this research investigated the impact of game narratives and company placement on consumer response. In addition, a moderating role of CSR support was examined. A 2 (game narratives: CSR vs. self-serving) × 2 (company placement: prominent vs. subtle) × 2 (CSR support: high vs. low) factorial experimental design was employed. A mobile web-based game was developed for stimuli. As expected, findings showed that those who played the game with a CSR narrative responded more favorably toward both the game and the company than those who played the game with a self-serving narrative. The research found also an interplay between game narratives and company placement on consumer response. Specifically, in terms of a CSR-narrative game condition, participants exposed to a prominently placed company logo evaluated the company more favorably than participants exposed to a logo placed subtly. On the other hand, for a self-serving game condition, the company evaluation was more positive in a subtly-placed condition than in a prominently-placed condition. Instead of CSR support, a moderating role of fit between the company and the cause was found. Implications and future research are discussed.Advertisin

Gaia, the planetary religion : the sacred marriage of art and science.

As the human race approaches the 21st Century, the world\u27s spiritual, political, social, economic, educational, and scientific philosophies appear out of balance with the emerging global consciousness brought forth by today\u27s advancing technologies. Former President Bush\u27s New World Order is really the same old nation state order of international anarchy. All the ancient problems seem to have reached a critical point. Now, a critical idealism in education, which is a call for spiritual action, is necessary in order to have the power to bond like-minds to cure our ancient social diseases. The scientific and social movement which scientist James Lovelock named the Gaia theory, named after the Greek Goddess of the Earth, is on the verge of creating world-wide evolutionary change. My dissertation attempts to help create a Gaian philosophy of planetary education based on love between the sexes by analyzing the function of epic poetry

A study of pre-school education in the Republic of Ireland with particular reference to those pre-schools which are listed by the Irish Pre-School Playgroups Association in Cork city and county1993-06

[Preface]This study was undertaken in order to investigate the activities which took place in Irish pre-schools other than those within the formal school system. The principle focus of the research concerned the degree to which the  pre-school children were being 'cognitively stretched' by the curriculum in which they were engaged. The social, linguistic, physical and creative development of these children was also considered.An historical review of the theory of play and recent research in this area was undertaken.Twenty-three pre-schools were taken at random from the membership list in Cork city and county of the Irish Pre- School Playgroups Association. One pre-school which was not a member was added. Prior to embarking upon the  study, a history of the I.P.P.A. was given.The ethnographic research strategy was found to be the most suitable method of assessing empirically the nature and frequency of play in the pre-school. This study, which took place between 1986 and 1990, was therefore  eclectic in nature, employing a multi-faceted approach encompassing a target child observational schedule,  interviews, a study of classrooms, a questionnaire and an interaction analysis system.Briefly, the results showed that the 157 children engaged in this study were being cognitively stretched for approximately one quarter of the time if they were in a playgroup and approximately one half of the time if they were in a Montessori setting. Social and linguistic behaviour was limited by the actions of the pre-school leaders  and physically or creatively challenging behaviour was rarely observed. The fact that the children played alone for  half of the total time spent in the pre-school was most striking.The most important finding to emerge from the study of language in the twenty-four pre-schools was the fact that the children rarely communicated verbally. Dialogue was almost non-existent and children's questions were very sparse. In order to place the above in a National context, a questionnaire was sent in 1990 to a random sample of one hundred I.P.P.A. members in the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland. Unfortunately, only 39 responded.  However, of note was that approximately 25% of playgroup leaders had degrees and four-fifths of them were  mothers in their mid-thirties. They strongly disagreed with the teaching of the 3Rs and felt that much more  government money should be devoted to playgroups and in-service training for their personnel

Holistic Progression Network: Future of the financial system

This project explores the transformative potential of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and decentralized technologies to reimagine the financial landscape. Grounded in an understanding of fundamental human needs and the evolving nature of work, the project employs a multi-faceted methodology to envision a future where economic exchange transcends traditional paradigms. Through scenarios depicting a richly imagined future, the project illuminates opportunities for stakeholders across sectors, including education and innovation. Central to the framework is the concept of the Holistic Progression Network, a dynamic ecosystem where individuals accumulate and exchange tokens representing various forms of value. By fostering real-value exchange and redefining the purpose of work, the framework advocates for a holistic approach to economic development that prioritizes human well-being, self-actualization, and collective progress. The project concludes with actionable insights and disclosures, inviting stakeholders to participate in shaping a future characterized by resilience, innovation, and inclusivity

Nihilism Inc.: Environmental Destruction and the Metaphysics of Sustainability

The spectre of global environmental destruction is before us, the legacy of the expansion and domination of the world by European civilization. Not even the threat to the continued existence of humanity is enough to move the members of this civilization to alter its trajectory. And Marxism, which had held out the possibility of creating a new social order, has been swept from the historical stage by the failure of Eastern European communism. Nihilism Inc. is an attempt to overcome this crisis. Examining the relationship between metaphysical assumptions, ideas, social practices, institutions and economic processes in the formation and evolution of European civilization, it offers a genealogy of its current nihilism. The theory and practice of Marxism are analysed to show why the Soviet Union proved even more environmentally destructive and even less responsive to the environmental crisis than the West. These analyses reveal the need for a radical cultural transformation, a transformation which can only be effected on the foundation of a new metaphysics. The final part of this work offers the required metaphysics, clearing the way for the creation of an environmentally sustainable civilization

Takin\u27 it to the streets: culture war, rhetorical education, and democratic virtue

The author analyzes the history of rational liberalism, connecting this paradigm with the rhetoric of the culture wars, posing postmodernism as the re-emergence of Classical sophism, and offering a rhetoric pedagogy which draws from neo-Protagorean argumentation and Paolo Freire. Chapter One examines the broad debate as it applies to English Studies, as well as the debate within English Studies, contrasting the epistemological and moral assumptions of rational elitism with those postmodern. The author argues that, as democracy is embodied in rhetorical practice rather than foundational truths, the composition classroom is a natural site for education in the virtues of phronesis . Chapter Two employs an Aristotelian vocabulary to identify the central concern as a tension between moral excellence and political effectiveness. The author argues that the liberal self-concept identifies the individual apart from and in conflict with others and the community and that liberal thinking is undercut by marketplace assumptions which discourage civic participation and provide an inadequate model of inequality, domination, and oppression. Chapter Three examines the assumptions of Euro-western rationalism which underlie liberalism and their implications for democratic practice. The author argues that the dominant paradigm of inquiry misconstrues the Good as an abstract, timeless, and unitary form; misrepresents the practices of reasoning as transcending the oral, the particular, the local, and the timely (Toulmin Cosmopolis 30); and mishandles social institutions by according the misrepresented rationality of individuals. She concludes by raising the specter of the fragmented self, a passive subject, citizen of nowhere, who conflates material acquisition and the right to personal privacy with self-determination and ethical social progress. Chapter Four illustrates the way in which contemporary constructions of the Platonic cardinal virtues are used to silence dissenting voices. The author then proposes a rhetorical way of looking at these virtues which draws its force from the teachings of Protagoras, provisionally resolving the somewhat artificial binary drawn between episteme and doxai , so providing a more democratic vision of rhetorical ethics. Chapter Five offers a view of the classroom in the aftermath of September 11, linking neo-Protagorean argumentation with Freirean pedagogy