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Philosophy of the internet (web)

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Philosophy of the internet (web)

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I thought this was an interesting read:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2015/04/2 ... of-the-web

Consider this from the above article:
Is the technology of today fundamentally different? In particular, does it change the way we think of ourselves or our relationships to each other and the environment? Does it change the way we think about what exists (metaphysics), about what and how we can know about it (epistemology), or about how we ought to live (ethics)?
Now consider the possibility that scientist/theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin may have been on to something when he spoke of a Noosphere:

As a paleontologist, de Chardin looked across Earth's history and saw the critical transition Earth made billions of years ago from a dead planet to a world dominated by life (the "biosphere"). As a mystic, he believed the next step was going to take us from a "mindless" biosphere to a world ruled by intention — by "mind." Evolution, he claimed, was taking us toward what he called the Noosphere ("nous" is greek for mind) — a global unity of consciousness, a " 'thinking' sphere circling the Earth above the biosphere, which [would comprise all] human reflection, conscious souls, and love."

If that sounds like some serious New Age "Woo," then you're getting the idea. While I have great respect for de Chardin's intentions when it comes to science and spirituality, it's always been pretty hard for me to buy into his full-blown mystical sensibilities. So, as you might imagine, the Noosphere has attracted its share of wishful thinkers — and some of it has gotten pretty silly (to me at least).

But, then, a funny thing happened on the way to the New Age. Humanity ended up building an actual Noosphere (or at least its first draft).

It was called the Internet.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2015/04/1 ... -conscious
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