Phronesis, information & the digital world

Anastasia Giannakidou, Professor of Linguistics, Director of the Center for Hellenic Studies, University of Chicago

In this presentation, I concentrate on the challenges that technology presents when it comes to the language used to convey information, and suggest Aristotle’s notion of phronesis as a tool for assessing accuracy of information in the digital spaces. The digital exchange, more radically than any other form of technology, encourages passive consumption of information, and has inherent in it the risk of blurring the boundary between the real and the fictional because it is disembodied, it lacks the physical dimension. Language can be used as an instrument to create informational platonic caves that trap thought, and can cause harm at various levels including mental health, conformity, and tribal attitudes. When language itself takes up the space of reality, there is increased risk of deception. Cyber phronesis consists in information consumers understanding that the difference between truth-being and truth-appearing is the key in distinguishing between misinformation and valid argument.