(in Polish) Man, Technology, Spirituality. Does technology make us laic or pious?

philosophy

intermediate

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(in Polish) -

This course will present the contemporary research in philosophy of mind and psychology to examine the influence of modern technology and especially digital media on shaping the human spirituality.

Course topics:

1. Does human being have a soul, or only consciousness which is produced by the brain cells? The return of the soul hypothesis in neurosciences. Aquinas against reductionism.

2. Body and soul – harmony or war. Modern approach to human body and its dangerous consequences.

3. Spiritual brain. Whether the prayer is good for the brain according to psychological research?

4. Use it or loose it - neuroplasticity and habits. Whether our habits and virtues depend on the wiring of our brain?

5. Fast and slow systems of thinking. Psychological and evolutionary limitations of our thought processes. Is a free will and free choice possible in face of modern manipulation techniques.

6. Attention and distraction. Whether internet distracts us and make us unable to concentrate?

7. Torment of memorizing. Do we need to memorize data when we have smartphones? St. Augustine and inner world of memory.

8. Virtual versus personal. Is online teaching and therapy enough? Online connections and theory of personal relations.

9. Virtual reality and video games as moral problem. Are video games inducing a violence?

10. Addiction to technology – is it a real danger?

11. Human-robot relations.

12. Do we need to redefine humanity in digital world. Can we save our spirituality?

Literature:

- N. Carr, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, New York 2020.

- M. Spitzer, Digitale Demenz: Wie wir uns und unsere Kinder um den Verstand bringen, Droemer 2012.

- D. Kahneman, Thinking, fast and slow, New York 2013.

- M. Beauregard, D. O’Leary, The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul, New York 2008.

- J.Dukaj, Po piśmie, Kraków 2019.

- T. Stępień, Angel in „The Cartesian Theatre” - Aquinas and the Mind Body Problem, Warszawskie Studia Teologiczne XXXI/3/2018, s. 66-79.

Knowledge:

-3 student knows basic problems ivolving the influence of the technology to human being.

-4 student knows the main theories of philosophy of mind and psychology on the structure of man and consequences of using technology in shaping human spiritual life.

-5 student knows and understand theories of philosophy of mind and psychology on the structure of man and consequences of using technology in shaping human spiritual life as well as basic theories of models of thinking, memory, attention, psychomanipulation etc.

Abilities:

-3 student can formulate and defend basic issues involving interaction of man with technology.

-4 student sees the consequences of proper understanding the influence of technology on human behavior, memory, attention, habits etc.

-5 student can explain and argue how to use technological tools (especially digital media and smartphones) to benefit of human development and avoid the dangers and addition to smartphones and digital media.

ECTS:

- The lectures of the course: 30h

- The preparation to the lectures by reading the literature: 30h

- Preparation of the semestral paper: 60h

Assessment method:

Preparing the paper on one of the aspects of the influence of the technology on spirituality, prayer or ascetic life.

The paper will be evaluated according to the effects of learning above with the special focus on:

- understanding the dangers and profits of digital technology

- proposition of creative usage of technological tools to benefit spiritual growth and shaping of virtues