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Abstract
In this interview, philosopher Luciano Floridi explains the effects that, in his opinion, the digital revolution is having on our understanding of human nature. Among other things, he proposes that digitalization is contributing to the development of an anthropology in which man is not the center of reality, but just another node in an unlimited set of informational nodes. This revolution has effects also on the way we have access to reality, through the design of patterns that allow us to order the data we obtain from it. Such vision gives rise to an ethics whose perspective is patient-oriented, that is, which places the needs and expectations of the other first. The interview concludes with some practical proposals for some of the challenges posed by technology companies to today's society.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Floridi maintains that humanity is going through the fourth revolution: the first one occurred as a result of Copernicus' theories (we discovered that we are not the center of the universe); the second one, with Darwin (that we are not so different from animals); and the third one with Freud (that we do not know ourselves completely). The digital revolution – which repositions us in the universe again – began with Alan Turing (Floridi Citation2014, 89-91).
2 Floridi refers to Ulysses' journey in the Odyssey. After the Trojan War, the hero wants to return to his city, Ithaca, but finds obstacles that prevent him from doing so. Ulysses is always moved by the memory of his wife Penelope's love. The return to Ithaca represents then the desire of every man to find the original place, where he feels loved.
3 In terms of logic, “Each of two or more terms, objects, or events between which a relation exists”(Oxford English Dictionary).
4 For Floridi, a “mature information society” is characterized by living in an online context. Citizens take certain services for granted. If they can't enjoy them (e.g. Wifi), the situation is abnormal (Floridi Citation2020, chap. 7).
5 Nudge is a concept used in economics, political theory, and social sciences, which recommends indirect but positive suggestions to influence someone’s behavior and decision making (Wendel Citation2016, 95-125).
6 It means “The truth” in Russian, it was the tittle of the famous official newspaper during the communist dictatorship.
7 17.4 million viewers in Italy alone, 11 of them through live TV channels and the others online. Cfr. Giacomo Gambassi's article, “Coronavirus. Ascolti record in tv per la benedizione del Papa: 17,4 milioni di italiani”, in Avvenire, 28 marzo 2020: https://www.avvenire.it/chiesa/pagine/papa-benedizione-urbi-et-urbi-coronavirus-record-ascolti-tv-17-milioni
8 He refers to the scene in the gospels where Saint Thomas refuses to believe in the Resurrection until he is able to put his finger into the wound in the side of Jesus Christ.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
José María La Porte
José María La Porte, PhD (Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Professor) holds a License in Social Communications (University of Navarre) and Master of Science in Communication (Northwestern University). Professor of Fundamentals of Institutional Communication of the Church (Pontifical University of the Holy Cross). Author of Internal Communication and Management in Non-profits, published in 2003 by Franco Angeli in Milan, and co-author of "Institutional Communication in the Forum of Family Association", in Family and media. Family Associations and Communication, a collection published by Edusc in Rome in 2011, which he also co-edited with Norberto Gonzalez Gaitano.
Juan Narbona
Juan Narbona, PhD (Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, 2013) is Professor of Digital Communications at the same University. He has published “Comunicare la fede oggi” (Città Nuova), as well as “Religious Organizations on the Internet: A Model to analyze communication effectiveness”, in Digital Research Methodologies in the Sociology of Religion (eds. Suha Shakkour and Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor).