Posthuman - Life in the 21st Century's Anonymous Society with Fred Magee
Wednesday afternoons from 2-4 p.m.
In person only at Wellfleet Preservation Hall.
October 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17.
Course limited to 12 participants.
Session I: The increasing influence of Medialogy
I define Medialogy as a synthesis of technology and media that enables people to bypass traditional social practices by eliminating the need for human beings to be physically near each other. In just one generation, Medialogy has enabled a world in which human life no longer requires institutions based on place.
Session II: The Anonymous Society
Until the past 30 years, every generation in history has interacted with other people directly and in person. In the Anonymous Society, nearly every social institution can be represented through a screen – from banking to government and more, enabling people to trade faces for interfaces and remain anonymous to each other.
Session III: The new social fabric of society
As people have adopted and adapted to combining presence and anonymity in their lives, society’s structure has changed. A range of participation, from displacement to full acceptance, has transformed the way information and relationships move. Detachment and alienation drives distrust of institutions – reshaping everyday life.
Session IV: The larger forces shaping the next fifty years
Medialogy is in its infancy as an influencer. Artificial intelligence (AI), combined with Virtual Reality (AR/VR) will improve in their ability to establish alternative human relationships. At the same time, as climate change and population growth shape the future narrative, people will be increasingly reliant on mediated life.
Session V: Posthuman – A World without the need for people
The concept that human beings are the apex of creation has fueled social structure throughout history. In the 21st century, there will be more people, fewer resources, and an insufficient supply of useful work to sustain humanity. For the first time, human beings will be a disposable commodity rather than a source for growth.
What will that world look like? Answering that question is the goal of this course.