441 - Mary Harrington - Technology, AI, and Cultural Memory

In this conversation, I sat down with Mary Harrington about technology and the online world.Mary reflects on her path as a writer, the evolution of online culture, and the growing difficulty of discerning truth in the digital environment. We also touch on memory, embodiment, cancel culture, and politics. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/eeBZuA0S1ZEMary will be speaking at the Symbolic World Summit. The theme of the conference is Retelling the Cosmic Epic, and Mary’s talk will be titled: 'Rebuild the Monasteries'Description:In an age of AI "slop" and flattened culture, how do we understand, and cultivate, what makes us distinctly human? Mary Harrington will argue that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Premodern practices of memory and prayer, once cultivated in Europe's monasteries, can refresh our imaginations and salvage our human cultures in the digital age.Come join us at Woodside Event Center | Broadview Heights, Ohio | May 14-16, 2026Early Bird Pricing – Ends March 26th: Save $50 on both General Admission and VIP ticketsBuy tickets now: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ =====NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel ShchelinThe problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out.Presenter: Pavel ShchelinDuration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men.Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026.Price: $180 USD - Involved patrons can get a 10% discount. Apply your code at checkout. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history =====Jonathan and Mary's discussion on Socrates in the City: https://youtu.be/nrsjZKPH4WA?si=kaM5zE2Qj-4XCD1KTimestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:07 - Intro music01:32 - Introduction02:14 - Mary's journey09:00 - The meaning of meaning10:46 - The singularity already happened12:53 - Being connected17:28 - The printing press industrial template20:52 - AI22:21 - Using AI25:47 - Internet platforms and politics32:10 - Being anonymous35:37 - Politics37:44 - The end of the printing press39:47 - The end of the industrial era42:46 - Cancel culture46:56 - Treasure houses🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/