SOCIAL MEDIA

Manipulation of public opinion through dissemination of misinformation, emotional appeals, cherry picked data, testimonials > objective facts/evidence.

Post-truth politics is the erosion of trust in traditional sources of information. Sway away from media, expert opinions and turn to alternative theories. They use this scepticism towards authority to advance their agendas and discredit dissenting voices.

Printing press - first instance of decentralised information. Prior to this only people in power or governments could share information through books.

Misconception that social media enabled access to a plethora of views.

CANCEL CULTURE

Due to echo chambers we are only being exposed to our own beliefs. Curated feeds which reinforce the same ideas and fail to open our minds.

Challenging IRL when meeting individuals with differing views. Losing tolerance and open-mindedness to alternate ideas.

Widespread collection and commodification of personal data by corporations. Unilateral claiming of private human experience as free raw material for translation into behavioural data. Sold to companies.

Predicts, modifies and influences our behaviours.

EG Mood manipulation experiment - by Mark Zuckerberg - which deliberately tinkered with what users saw in their News Feed in order to measure how Facebook could influence people’s emotional states without their knowledge

Innate fascination with the lives of others. Indirectly boosting ones own self-esteem relative to individual being gossiped about. Using misfortune of others to either entertain or find solace in our own imperfections.

Assumption: We are flawless beings endowed with the authority to pass on judgement to others.

CAPITALISM

LIBERALISM

Thomas Hobbes - Life in the state of nature is ' nasty, brutish and short ', so we need authority to ensure security.

French revolution - central idea was liberalism.

Individual is the central unit of social importance. A society where each individual is important. ---> opposes trad views when ppl were collectivists - no ind more important than family.

The West is overly individual nowadays.

MODERNITY

Shifted focus of selfhood from external sources to one of mind and consciousness - " i think therefore I am. "

The absence of divinity. Disenchantment is the cultural devaluation of religion. Religion should be separated from civil affairs. promotes freedom of speech.

Friedrich Nietzche - " will to power ". Realisation that man is now his own God. Will to power is intrinsic to all living beings, propelling them toward growth and ultimate potential.

CONS - results in marginalisation of religious groups. May lead to lack of understanding of empathy.

Adam Smith - individuals driven by self interest and the ' invisible hand ' of the market, unintentionally contribute to overall economic well-being of society. === pursuing your own interests in a competitive market will promote public good. Essentially - the value of free markets.

Human mortality is grounded in sympathy of sharing feelings with others. Seeking approval from others in a desire to be seen as virtuous. Moral behaviour arises from the natural human inclination to harmonise with society and gain social approval.

Loss of sacred limits to experiments or technological growth.

Authoritarian technocracy

Critique of traditional morality - arises from a perspective of weakness. moral values such as altruism and selflessness - " slave morality " - imposed by weaker to control the strong. Morals from Christianity (so he criticises it). Instead advocates for philosophy which celebrates vitality of the human spirit. Appreciates Buddhism which allows for postmodern spirituality to flourish by centring the self in a process of enlightenment, not burdened by institutions controlling individuality.

UBERMENSCH - idealised individual who transcends conventional norms and limitations --> forge their own path.

Paradoxical desires. 1. we desire to be an individual who is totally free and in control. Thus rejecting traditional morality. 2. Our desire for external validation and approval prevents us from forging our own unique path.

POST MODERNITY

Scepticism towards authority - questioning legitimacy and power structures in institutions and traditions.

Modern science meant to solve all the problems. eg darwin theory proved evolution, but also used in a very racist intepretations with indians and indigenous people.

Interconnectedness of global cultures and diversity of human experiences. Cultural relativism - dif beliefs are equally valid in their own contexts == globalisation.

Pomo critiques the homogenising tendencies of globalisation, while celebrating cultural exchange. The modern west is culturally necrophillic. - kills differences, hates the Other but celebs its own dead culture.

Racism

2. philoxenia - idealisation/love of the other.

GRAND NARRATIVES

POMO critiques GN - seeing them as oppressive and exclusionary. Instead promotes plurality and diversity.

Christianity - story of gods creation. provided framework for understanding nature of universe, meaning of life and purpose of morality.

Nationalism - story for a people's history and culture and justifies nation state. Creates a sense of solidarity and unity amount members of a particular nation.

If god does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist. Objective moral values and duties do exist. Therefore, God exists.

1. Commercially fake - changes facts to make news more appealing - click bait

2. strategically fake - british purposefully shared propaganda that accused the germans of killing babies with their bare hands.
   

Language - reflects shifts in culture, norms, offers innovations. However, there is value in preserving trad lang for clarity, stability and cultural continuity.

Our knowledge (no matter the discipline) is to the extent of definitions. Adheres to grammar rules, syntax, vocab.

POMO lang, with its penchant for ambiguity and abstraction can hinder clear communication = misunderstanding.

My exclude certain groups, barriers to understanding. Elitist POMO literature. Overly fancy language (simulation of knowledge)

Relativism - all beliefs considered equally. Undermines the foundations of reasoned inquiry. Leads to moral and intellectual paralysis and NO BASIS upon which to judge the merits of one truth over the other.

The self has become our own idol in an idolatrous society of self-centeredness.

We create little monuments of ourselves to worship - experience, quantification of data (likes/comments), money.

No introspection or self examination of our own life. Don't question ourselves to live the Good Life ' ??'

Fantasy of celebrity culture - emulate the ways of celebs who don't even know their own identity. drains us emotionally, chasing an impossible illusion of fame.

Ukraine news coverage - How the refugees were considered ' civil ' ' european ' ' christians ' ' white ' and they compare this with other refugees in middle east, african people.

Skin coloured pencil/ Indian IT guys, Asian good at math. Nude band aids, bras.

Misuse of scientific methods and theories to support/justify racist beliefs - involves classification of humans into distinct biological races and asserting inherent hierarchies.

19th and early 20th century - pseudoscientific theories emerged, promoting racial hierarchy.

Social darwinism - survival of fittest extended to humans. Doomed Race Theory - Indig Aus predicted to be extinct.

While it was disproved in this context, the ideas it propagated lingered. leaving a controversial legacy.

Human zoos - indian family exhibited at Berlin Zoo in 1931.

1. In context of capitalism, unsustainable. 3% incr annually. More workers, resources, people, demand. cycle - ecological exhaust.

2. stigma to non-growth. Succumb to binary thinking. Elders not progressing are declining. Traditional values holding us back. Shunt from society (WESTERN)

Reducing complex issues into simple ideas and claiming their is sufficient explanation

Mark Zuckerberg prior to his success with facebook invented fashmash after a drunk break uo with his girlfriend - created a list to rate girls across harvard. - is this someone we want in control

State of culture where media is produced in such staggering quantities that it has crossed the boundaries into reality itself and hyperreality prevails.

if culture is how we represent reality and find meaning - there are a plethora of voices and messages now - we are in a HYPERREAL WORLD.

pre mod (arts/theatre) --> mod (film, printing) --> POMo (memes, ads, post = as much reality as trees)

Simulacra - Jean Baudrillard - no longer simulation of reality but simulation of simulation -->referencing and copying old cultural things, big mess if incestuous intertext

Confucius focused on humans concerns, rather than the ultimate nature of the universe. focused on human concerns, emphasising good gov = social harmony.

Morality instrinic within humans. Mandate. - right to rule by divine approval - rise and fall through MOH (dynastic cycle)

Self discipline as cure for societal problems. better society from better individuals.

CONSUMERISM