SDF

Visionaries : Kyung-Sig Hwang & Wha-Chul Son

Towards an Information Utopia :
Information Technology for Communication
One of the most significant purposive values that we expect from the era of information technology is communication. An ideal information society requires both technological infrastructure and a human-oriented community built on the open exchange of information, knowledge and emotions – such society, we may call, an information utopia. Reaching this utopia necessitates the completion of the following three key tasks: First is enabling the fair distribution of information based on information-sharing, that is, information justice to give all members of society a right to participate; second is effective management of online privacy, which has emancipatory functions but also can cause communication breakdowns, information distortions and even cybercrimes; lastly we need to keep away from the propensity to seek complacency in the world of information networks and convenient apps. Socrates’ aphorism “Know Yourself” holds also true in this age of information people have never really gotten lost. Korea’s distinguished justice theorist and philosopher Hwang KyungSig introduces innovative wisdom that can help us reach our digital utopia.

Visionary
HWANG Kyung-sig Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, Seoul National University

Digital Dystopia : Connected with Everybody While Losing Oneself
It is true that technological developments have made ‘our’ lives on Earth connected in one way or another. The widening digital divide, however, tells us the benefits of technology are reaching still a limited number of people and the conceptions of who ‘we’ are rather distorted. Even the majority of the beneficiaries find themselves trapped in the overarching power relations that operate in the digital network. The bigger problem is that we are syncing our languages and thoughts with the syntax of digital technology, concomitantly letting the technology to reconfigure our identity. In short, a digital dystopia can be conceptualized as the world the fundamental question of “who we are” is forgotten. Keeping away from the dystopia calls for our wise innovation. And that begins from together envisioning an ideal world through self-reflection - something Winston Smith in Orwell’s 1984 did by keeping a secret journal. Leading philosopher of technology Son WhaChul warns of the traps and risks of a digital dystopia, and shares with us his wisdom that leads us to a digital utopia.

Visionary
SON Wha-Chul Professor, Global Leadership School, Handong Global University