1st Edition

The Internet A Philosophical Inquiry

By Gordon Graham Copyright 1999

    The Internet: A Philosophical Inquiry develops many of the themes Gordon Graham presented in his highly successful radio series, The Silicon Society. Exploring the tensions between the warnings of the Neo-Luddites and the bright optimism of the Technophiles, Graham offers the first concise and accessible exploration of the issues which arise as we enter further into the world of Cyberspace.
    This original and fascinating study takes us to the heart of questions that none of us can afford to ignore: how does the Internet affect our concepts of identity, moral anarchy, censorship, community, democracy, virtual reality and imagination?
    Free of jargon and full of stimulating ideas, this is essential reading for anyone wishing to think clearly and informatively about the complexities of our technological future.

    Introduction, Gordon Graham; Chapter 1 Neo-Luddites versus Technophiles, Gordon Graham; Chapter 2 The radically new and the merely novel, Gordon Graham; Chapter 3 The Faustian bargain, Gordon Graham; Chapter 4 The Internet as democracy, Gordon Graham; Chapter 5 The Internet as anarchy, Gordon Graham; Chapter 6 Policing the Internet, Gordon Graham; Chapter 7 New communities, Gordon Graham; Chapter 8 Virtual reality, Gordon Graham; conl Conclusion, Gordon Graham;

    Biography

    Gordon Graham is Regius Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen and Director of the Aberdeen Centre for Philosophy, Technology and Society. He is also the author of Philosophy of the Arts (Routledge, 1997) and The Shape of the Past (Oxford University Press, 1997).

    'a lucid and wide-ranging philosophical study' - Jonathan Ree, The Independent on Sunday

    'an accessible and thought provoking philosophical tract, one that suggests new ways of looking at the internet.' - The Philosopher's Magazine

    'Graham's book is clear, non-technical and pithily argued...it is a book well worth reading' - The Philosophical Quarterly

    'The virtues of this book are many... Graham has surely succeeded in making himself intelligible to the broader audience in this wonderful book.' - Philosophical Books