Description:

Big data and the sharing economy are two of the most salient aspects of today's world. This is true not only in the West, but increasingly so in a developing country like Thailand. Assessing the ethical impact of these emerging technologies takes on further complications when it is done in the context of these local cultures. In this talk, Professor Hongladarom will briefly lay out some of the contexts and backgrounds of the problem and then present analysis, based on insights obtained from Buddhist philosophy as well as from living in the developing world.

Soraj Hongladarom is a professor of philosophy and director of the Center for Ethics of Science and Technology, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He has been working on the more applied areas of philosophy for more than two decades and his focus is on how technology and culture interact, especially with respect to ethical dimensions. Among his works are The Online Self and A Buddhist Theory of Privacy, both published by Springer in 2016. Currently he is completing a research project on Spinoza and Buddhism as part of an agreement between Indiana University and Chulalongkorn University.

This event is presented by NUDHL - Northwestern University Digital Humanities Laboratory. All are welcome regardless of Digital Humanities experience. A noodle lunch will be served.