Ideology as a form of immaterial technology

Katerina Chatzopoulou, Assistant Instructional Professor of Modern Greek University of Chicago

This presentation examines the notion of ideology as a form of immaterial technology, in the understanding of Arthur (2009) of technology as ‘a means to fulfill a human purpose’. Indicatively a comparison is drawn between Classical Philosophy and Christianity, showing the kinship of the two fields. Both fields are internally heterogeneous and differ in various aspects, already extensively examined in the literature (Giesen 1909, Knopf 1914, Jaeger 1961, West 1999, Sedley 2002, Hurrtado 2003, Meijer 2008, Brent 2009, Brenk 2010, Siniossoglou 2010, Λουδοβίκος 2014). The presentation building on Chatzopoulou (2020) highlights the commonalities of the two fields in their pursuit of moral virtue and orientation towards the immaterial. Therefore, ideology understood as set of beliefs regarding (a) what is true and (b) what is good, covers both fields, which function has been to further diminish all forms of violence in human communities, in the trend of human self domestication. This agrees both with the definition of Arthur (2009) of technology, predated also in Aristotle Nicomachean ethics 1.1094a: πᾶσα τέχνη καὶ πᾶσα μέθοδος, ὁμοίως δὲ πρᾶξίς τε καὶ προαίρεσις, ἀγαθοῦ τινὸς ἐφίεσθαι δοκεῖ: διὸ καλῶς ἀπεφήναντο τἀγαθόν, οὗ πάντ᾽ ἐφίεται. διαφορὰ δέ τις φαίνεται τῶν τελῶν […] “Every art and every investigation, and likewise every practical pursuit or undertaking, seems to aim at some good: hence it has been well said that the Good is That at which all things aim. It is true that a certain variety is to be observed among the ends at which the arts and sciences aim.”

Bibliography

Arthur, W. Brian. 2009. The nature of technology: what it is and how it evolves. New York: Free Press.

Brent, Allen. 2009. Christian, Logos cosmology in contrast with the pagan version

Chatzopoulou, Katerina. 2020. Topics in Ancient Greek Philosophy ΙI [In Greek: Θέματα Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλοσοφίας ΙI] (3rd edition). Athens: Ammon.

Meijer, P. A. 2008. Stoic Theology. Proofs for the Existence of the Cosmic God and of the Traditional Gods. Including a Commentary on Cleanthes’ Hymn On Zeus. Delft.