As the current wave of disruption, manifesting itself through various conversations about artificial intelligence swirling around us (which, from our perspective, would be better described as a »Reflective Intelligence«), builds into a cultural crescendo reminiscent of Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa. Indeed, when, as a kind of embarrassment of thought, even the leading figures in its epistemological field conjure up a dys-utopian race toward civilizational collapse (as with Geoffrey Hinton), it’s easy to overlook how the Computer’s intellectual roots in our Machine Culture date back to the 18th century. And because of this, reflecting back on Digitalisation's origins in the crackling rift of Writing’s electrification becomes even more essential. We’re pleased to share this brief conversation between us about reading between the lines regarding Electrification, Massification, and the shifting definition of Writing in the early chapters of Martin’s Short History of Digitalisation.

Hopkins Stanley and Martin Burckhardt

Related Content

It is difficult to ignore how Capitalism has slipped into a deep values crisis – and indeed, you might be forgiven for thinking we are in a Potemkin village, a zombie economy sustained only by memories of a glorious past or by cash injections from central banks. For this reason alone, our conversation with Peter Fleming was extremely valuable, as he, with his keen sense of fundamental upheavals, recognized the signs of the times early on. Observations like how work has become little more than a mythological narrative for reassuring ourselves of our sense of importance and self-worth, or that universities have turned into dark zones in our era of Human Capital—sometimes jokingly called Whackademia—and that in this morally decayed environment, it is almost impossible to cling to the specter of the homo economicus as the ideal of utility-maximizing rationality. In this sense, it’s only logical that Peter Fleming's dirge ends with a reflection on Capitalism and Nothingness. And while this may be a somewhat somber topic, we found our conversation with him to be very enjoyable and entertaining.

Peter Fleming is a Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney. During his time in London, where he taught Business and Society at City University, he chaired the London Living Wage Symposium at the House of Commons. His work has been recognized with several awards.

Related Content