Overview

With a particular focus on social media, Gábor L. Ambrus explores how human beings relate to contemporary information technology. Ambrus argues that religious traditions – such as Judaism and Christianity, as well as secular philosophical thought inspired by religion – can be invoked to describe both the freedom and ‘unfreedom’ of the user of information technology. To illustrate how individuals relate to technology in a restricted and totalitarian online environment, Ambrus adopts the figure and legend of the golem from Jewish mysticism. At the same time, his argument features other religious concepts and themes to describe an alternative to our present predicament of ‘unfreedom’, while not seeking to portray any ‘redemption’ outside the technological environment. At the core of his argument, Ambrus presents the experience of nothingness as a source of freedom, opening up the possibility for a free relationship for us all with information technology.

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9781350361270

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Reviews

A really exciting new book about how to respond to information technology ... This is a large and rapidly growing field ... This is a highly original, extremely lively, well-sourced, and timely work, well-conceived and well-executed. Perhaps its most original contribution is to explore the possibility of a religious response to information technology that does not look for a non-technological counter-weight—switching the computer off, going on a mountain retreat, etc.—but seeks to develop an experience of nothingness that arises within online life itself, focused on the phenomena of burn-out and boredom. * George Pattison, retired, but honorary professorial posts at Glasgow, St Andrews universities, UK and Copenhagen University, Denmark * From the Golem to Freedom contains a highly innovative thesis circulating around the dominance of technology in our world today. Rather than simply lament our apparent subservience to technology, however, it seeks to locate a space for meaning with the boredom, burnout and anxiety (the ‘nothingness’) that many experience in their frequent online encounters ... Throughout the proposal, there was a striking, lucid exposition of the contents of such a theoretically rich work. There are extremely relatable examples and analysis delivered in the midst of a profound and complex argument concerning the nature of the human being in relation to technology ... Had this book been available when I taught my (graduate) course, I would have been eager to use it as a primary text in class—and I do intend to use it as a primary text when I teach that particular seminar again in the future ... I have no reservations about it. * Colby Dickinson, Loyola University Chicago, USA *

This is a rich philosophical discussion of the religious ‘spell’ of contemporary information technology that includes a powerful political analysis: as users of technology we are locked into a ‘dialectic of unfreedom’ with our golem slave technologies … Highly recommended reading for anyone willing to look further than the one-liners of tabloid AI ethics. * Mark Coeckelbergh, University of Vienna, Austria * This is an important contribution to the field and a topical resource as we learn to cope with the massive challenges presented by social media and other forms on Internet-based technology. * Christopher B. Barnett, Villanova University, USA * In an age overflowing with information and deeply rooted in technology, the author courageously delves into the intricate ties between technology, religion, and the core of human existence. By closely scrutinizing the crossroads of technological breakthroughs and their role in our lives, this book provides readers with not just a mirror to our present situation, but also a deep journey into age-old wisdoms and their significance in our modern, tech-centric world. * L. M. Possati, postdoctoral researcher, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands *

Author Information

Gábor L. Ambrus is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Charles University, Czech Republic

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