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309 - Jacob Howland - Technological Cannibalism

I had an amazing discussion with Jacob Howland about the fundamental question of technology. We investigate from both the Biblical and ancient Greek perspectives what technology is and its effects on the human spirit. We discuss the notion of memory...

An episode of the The Symbolic World podcast, hosted by Jonathan Pageau, titled "309 - Jacob Howland - Technological Cannibalism" was published on October 3, 2023 and runs 73 minutes.

October 3, 2023 ·73m · The Symbolic World

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Summary

I had an amazing discussion with Jacob Howland about the fundamental question of technology. We investigate from both the Biblical and ancient Greek perspectives what technology is and its effects on the human spirit. We discuss the notion of memory and recollection, Plato’s Phaedrus, the Biblical notion of garments of skin, ChatGPT and AI, work and leisure, technology’s effects on human capabilities, paganism and idolatry, intelligence, and “the matrix”, the internet, intuition, and much more.Jacob Howland is the Provost and Director of the Intellectual Foundations Program at UATX, commonly known as the University of Austin.His latest book is Glaucon's Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato's Republic (Paul Dry Books, 2018): https://www.amazon.com/Glaucons-Fate-History-Character-Republic/dp/1589881346Jacob Howland’s website: https://www.jacobhowland.com/His articles on Unherd: https://unherd.com/author/jacob-howlandunherd-com/YouTube version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/o468OtytbVQTimestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:02 - Intro music01:28 - Introduction01:59 - Different narratives about technology04:09 - Technology from the Greek perspective05:01 - Plato's Phaedra - and fixing words08:16 - Egypt09:29 - Suppressing recollection11:13 - The garments of skin15:02 - Work - sorting chaos18:17 - Human capabilities diminishing19:53 - ChatGPT cannibalizes itself22:06 - A pagan god that feeds on humans23:52 - Human batteries26:03 - Intuition - direct access to reality28:49 - What do we mean by intelligence?30:47 - Understand AI as idolatry32:19 - The gold of the golden calf34:53 - The tabernacle35:33 - A body of power37:39 - card: Beasts in Revelation39:16 - Work and leisure47:45 - Monastic life and leisure49:18 - Not anti-technology50:54 - The Henry Adams curve56:56 - The Beast kills the whore1:00:17 - Plato's cave1:01:19 - There is no "solution"1:03:24 - Prometheus’ cycle of desire1:05:58 - The flip side of all of this1:10:15 - Paradise Lost1:11:09 - The need for transcendence1:12:26 - Re-engage at the human scale💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🗣 Join The Symbolic World Community for discussions about symbolism: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 🔒 BECOME A PATRON Website: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/pageauvideos 📱 SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSymbolicWorld Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pageaujonathan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.pageauOur website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.

Episode Description

I had an amazing discussion with Jacob Howland about the fundamental question of technology. We investigate from both the Biblical and ancient Greek perspectives what technology is and its effects on the human spirit.
We discuss the notion of memory and recollection, Plato’s Phaedrus, the Biblical notion of garments of skin, ChatGPT and AI, work and leisure, technology’s effects on human capabilities, paganism and idolatry, intelligence, and “the matrix”, the internet, intuition, and much more.

Jacob Howland is the Provost and Director of the Intellectual Foundations Program at UATX, commonly known as the University of Austin.
His latest book is Glaucon's Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato's Republic (Paul Dry Books, 2018): https://www.amazon.com/Glaucons-Fate-History-Character-Republic/dp/1589881346

Jacob Howland’s website: https://www.jacobhowland.com/
His articles on Unherd: https://unherd.com/author/jacob-howlandunherd-com/

YouTube version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/o468OtytbVQ

Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
01:02 - Intro music
01:28 - Introduction
01:59 - Different narratives about technology
04:09 - Technology from the Greek perspective
05:01 - Plato's Phaedra - and fixing words
08:16 - Egypt
09:29 - Suppressing recollection
11:13 - The garments of skin
15:02 - Work - sorting chaos
18:17 - Human capabilities diminishing
19:53 - ChatGPT cannibalizes itself
22:06 - A pagan god that feeds on humans
23:52 - Human batteries
26:03 - Intuition - direct access to reality
28:49 - What do we mean by intelligence?
30:47 - Understand AI as idolatry
32:19 - The gold of the golden calf
34:53 - The tabernacle
35:33 - A body of power
37:39 - card: Beasts in Revelation
39:16 - Work and leisure
47:45 - Monastic life and leisure
49:18 - Not anti-technology
50:54 - The Henry Adams curve
56:56 - The Beast kills the whore
1:00:17 - Plato's cave
1:01:19 - There is no "solution"
1:03:24 - Prometheus’ cycle of desire
1:05:58 - The flip side of all of this
1:10:15 - Paradise Lost
1:11:09 - The need for transcendence
1:12:26 - Re-engage at the human scale

💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
🗣 Join The Symbolic World Community for discussions about symbolism: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
🔒 BECOME A PATRON
Website: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/pageauvideos
📱 SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSymbolicWorld
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pageaujonathan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.pageau
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.

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