Lecture 8 - N. Katherine Hayles and Artificial Life

Posthumanism and Technology

In the last lecture we explored how Hayles assessed the impact of the Macy Conferences on the developments of Artificial Intelligence. Here I will proceed to explain Hayles’ recounting of how cybernetics began to adopt more reflexive models of cognition. I will look at what she has to individually say about the second and thirds waves of cybernetics and conclude with a discussion on Hayles’ claim that a central tenet of the posthuman self-understanding is virtual embodiment.

These lectures are brought to you by Staffordshire University's Philosophy team. Come study on our MA in Continental Philosophy via this link. Or, join our MA in Philosophy of Nature, Information and Technology via this link. Find out more about me here.