First ever SPT Sponsored Workshop in India
17-18 December 2024 @ A-504 Conference Room

at
BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Goa – India

Human society has undergone tremendous changes from the hunter-gatherer to cyborg. Technology played a pivotal role in triggering such changes. However, the twentieth century witnessed philosophers asking thought- provoking questions related to technology; such inquiry not only focused on the methodological and metaphysical aspects but also on the social, political, and ethical aspects of technology. Correspondingly, pessimistic, optimistic, and deterministic approaches to technology originated, wherein technological determinism put forward an instrumental view of technology, believing that technology is essentially value-neutral but that the use of technology is value-laden. However, others noticed different ethical issues associated with various stages, from design to implementation. A primary analysis of the historical discussions of the correlative developments of technology and society shows that the ethical considerations concerning technology are getting increasingly complicated along with emerging technologies.

Considering the recent revolution of AI/automation technologies in human-social enterprises and academics, concepts like ethical responsibility, responsible innovation, and ethical sensitivity hold significant shares in the philosophical discussions of technology. Such discussions not only underline the importance of human intentions, duties, and responsibilities when dealing with different aspects of technology but also instigate our curiosity to think about the possibility of developing a novel theory of ethics of technology rooted in deontological principles. So, the proposed workshop aims to address the following research questions through productive discussions and enlightening and thought-provoking lectures. What are the limitations of the existing theories of ethics concerning technology? Can a theory of ethics based on the ‘responsibility sense’ be developed? How can we nurture a moral sense of responsibility among students for the future? A workshop containing experts and participants from premier institutions to discuss and theorize the future theory of ethics of technology would be a fruitful academic event in a fast-growing technology-adaptive country like India.

This workshop intends to bring researchers’ attention to the interdisciplinary area called the ‘philosophy of/and technology. The event is conducted in hybrid mode, so researchers who cannot participate offline can attend online. The organising team will provide invitation letters and information about nearby accommodations to those interested in attending in person. Please note that participants will be responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodation at their own expense. However, snacks/tea and lunch will be provided on the workshop day. Participation certificates will be granted to all participants. Those interested must submit an SOP of a maximum of 500 words to hareeshkbi@gmail.com by 15th November 2024.

Speakers:

1. Robert J Rosenberger - (President - SPT, Georgia Institute of Technology)
2. Nolen Gertz - (University of Twente)
3. Eswaran Subrahmanian - (Carnegie Mellon University)
4. Sudhir Varadarajan - (IIITDM Kancheepuram)
5. Reena Cheruvalath - (BITS Pilani - Goa)
6. Manjari Chakrabarty - (Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan)