Philosophy of Technology

The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is: A History, A Philosophy, A Warning

Name: The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is: A History, A Philosophy, A Warning
Author: Justin E. H. Smith

Justin E. H. Smith

21 minAudio9 insights

What you'll learn

•The historical and philosophical roots of the internet and computing.
•How the internet economy exploits human attention and its consequences.
•The ecological and natural history context of telecommunication.
•Philosophical debates on artificial intelligence and machine consciousness.
•The metaphorical and literal significance of weaving in technology.
•The internet’s role as a modern microcosm of knowledge and connection.
•The challenges posed by digital technologies to human freedom and thriving.

Who should read this

✓Philosophers and students of technology
✓Digital culture critics and sociologists
✓Historians of science and technology
✓Tech industry professionals interested in ethical impacts

About this book

A philosophical and historical exploration revealing the internet as a natural, complex extension of human communication, attention, and technology, challenging prevailing myths and urging critical reflection on its societal impact.

Did You Know?

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The internet is metaphorically compared to a loom, linking its history to textile technology like Jacquard’s punched-card loom.

Audio Summary

Section 1

The Internet’s Hidden History: More Than Just a Modern Tool

3:45

7 Sections

Preview: The Internet’s Hidden History: More Than Just a Modern Tool

As we begin our journey through the nature and history of the internet, it is vital to recognize that what we often think of as a sudden, modern invention is in fact the culmination of centuries of human endeavor to formalize, calculate, and communicate. Imagine a seventeenth-century philosopher who dreamed of a universal language so precise and logical that any dispute, whether philosophical or diplomatic, could be resolved simply by sitting down and calculating the answer. This vision of a formal calculus, articulated by Leibniz, foreshadowed the very essence of what we now call computing. But the story does not begin here. Long before electronic machines whirred to life, medieval thinkers like Ramon Llull devised ingenious paper contraptions—rotating discs marked with symbols—that could explore every possible combination of concepts. These machines were the early seeds of symbolic processing, hinting at the possibility that machines might one day handle not just numbers but meaning itself.

These historical threads weave a rich tapestry that challenges the notion of the internet as a sudden rupture. Instead, it stands as a natural outgrowth of a perennial human quest to extend our reasoning and communication beyond the limits of unaided mind and voice. From the abacus to the Analytical Engine, from manuscript to machine code, the evolution is continuous and profound.

Understanding this deep history is more than an academic exercise; it informs how we perceive the internet’s promises and perils today. It reminds us that the internet embodies ideals of interconnected knowledge and rational discourse, even as it struggles with the realities of human attention, economic exploitation, and social fragmentation.

As we move forward, let us carry with us the awareness that the internet is not merely a tool but part of a vast human tradition—a living continuation of our species’ efforts to calculate, connect, and comprehend. This perspective will guide us as we explore the internet’s impact on our attention and freedom in the next section.