From Ancient Utopias to Cyberutopias. An Introduction to Political Philosophy (HM)

"From Ancient Utopias to Cyberutopias. An Introduction to Political Philosophy" is a course held at the Hochschule München (HM) – University of Applied Sciences, as part of the offer of courses in general sciences in which undergraduate and graduate students from different applies science take part.

Rationale: The dreams and projects of the so called Information Society are founded in a utopic vision, essentially linked to the European Modernity and particularly rooted by Bacon, Leibniz and other prominent philosophers. Some of the foundational utopic projects can even be traced back to middle ages, as we can see in the works of Aquinas, Lull or Kues, but even further away to the sources of political philosophy in antiquity. In particular, Plato sowed the seeds of the utopic tradition whose latest leaves are the cyberutopias. However, despite all the used efforts and progress-oriented designs, dystopias are displayed again and again, reflecting the dark, hidden and usually unnoticed side of the targeted hope, which in the current world generally gains the upper hand.

Form: The course is held as a seminar in English, in which the lecturer will provide a general orientation on the subject, presenting a critical perspective of the information society, including its related historical development, pursued goals and problems arisen by its deployment. This exploration is intended to provide an outlook to the historical development of political philosophy. Through colloquial discussions, students’ ability to defend critically their own viewpoints will be promoted. The student shall select a topic to be thereafter developed and discussed within the seminar.

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Clarification activity related to the course: From ancient utopias to cyberutopias