Technologies are always more than the sum of their mechanical parts. Indeed, technologies are entangled in symbolic forms of a social and cultural nature. Technologies also contribute to the construction of new worldviews and new forms of life. Technological imaginaries are far more than phantasies detached from technological innovation. They are at the heart of innovation itself, of the invention as well as of the implementation and use of technology in our societies.

Theme of the conference

Technologies are always more than the sum of their mechanical parts. Indeed, technologies are entangled in symbolic forms of a social and cultural nature. Technologies also contribute to the construction of new worldviews and new forms of life. Technological imaginaries are far more than phantasies detached from technological innovation. They are at the heart of innovation itself, of the invention as well as of the implementation and use of technology in our societies.

Technological imaginaries are embodied in the technologies themselves, as well as in norms and social and cultural practices. Technological imaginaries are often crystallized in scientific and non-scientific texts, documents, sounds, and images. They are always distributed on an axis that goes from ideology to utopia. At times, they serve to defend and strengthen the social and cultural status quo. At other times, they announce state of affairs that are not yet present – or never will be. In short, the notion of technological imaginaries places technologies within a wider world, made of nature and matter, but also language, images, ideas, institutions, symbols, intuitions, and dreams.

Online Conference Experience

Due to the disruption of COVID-19 the Society for Technology and Philosophy’s 2021 Technological Imaginaries Conference (28-30 June 2021) has been re-imagined and will now be held online. While we would prefer to be able to have a fully in-person conference, this option is no longer viable due to the continuing risks and uncertainties caused by the pandemic.

This early decision reduces uncertainties and provides us with time to design a very positive conference experience by taking advantage of the very best that technology can offer. Benefits of the online format are numerous: reduced cost of attending the conference, an increase of accessibility, new ways of socializing and networking, an “à la carte” ability to easily attend the next presentation in a different virtual room, the ability to experience missed presentations (via temporary access to recordings), and a lower carbon footprint.

The updated conference structure will provide:

• Engaging keynote guest presentations with Sheila Jasanoff, Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, Judith Sutz, Pieter Vermaas, and the career prize winner
• Later daily starts to help accommodate researchers wherever their geographic localization
• A general presentation outline of a 15-minute presentation with 10 minutes of live Q&A following
• Breakout rooms for networking, mentoring, socializing, workshops, etc.
• An awards ceremony: celebrating the Lifetime Career Award and the two research paper winners: The Early Career and the Graduate Student winners

Timeline

• 15 Feb: Abstracts for individual presentations and panels due, as well as proposals for breakout rooms activities

• 1 April: Notification of acceptance
• 15 April: Papers due for best Early Career paper and best Graduate Student paper (see website for details)
• 1 June: Registration deadline, winners of the Early Career and Graduate Student papers notified
• 28-30 June: The SPT Conference

For detailed conference information, visit:  https://lillethics.com/spt-2021/

For information about the Society for Philosophy and Technology, visit: http://www.spt.org/

Direct any questions to: spt2021@univ-catholille.fr

Organizing committee

• Emanuele CLARIZIO, UCLille
• David DOAT, UCLille
• Xavier GUCHET, UTC Compiègne
• Richard LEWIS, UCLille
• Alain LOUTE, UCLille

Program committee

• Sabine AMMON (TU Berlin),
• Inmaculada DE MELO-MARTIN (Cornell University),
• David DOAT (UCLille),
• Richard LEWIS (UCLille),
• Alberto ROMELE (University of Tübingen),
• Shannon VALLOR (The University of Edinburgh),
• Pieter VERMAAS (TU Delft),
• Naoe KIYOTAKA (Tohoku University)

Scientific committee

Anne ALOMBERT (UCLille), Sabine AMMON (TU Berlin), Adeline BARBIN (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Bernadette BENSAUDE-VINCENT (Sorbonne University), Federica BUONGIORNO (TU Dresden), Emanuele CLARIZIO (UCLille), Mark COECKELBERGH (University of Vienna), Cléo COLLOMB (Paris-Saclay University), Darryl CRESSMAN (Maastricht University), Lucie DALIBERT (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), Christelle DIDIER (University of Lille), David DOAT (UCLille), Irene BORGES DUARTE (University of Evora), Maurizio FERRARIS (University of Turin), Jean-Yves GOFFI (Université Grenoble-Alpes), Valentine GOURINAT (Université de Strasbourg), Nathalie GRANDJEAN (Université de Namur), Xavier GUCHET (UTC Compiègne), Carole GUESSE (Université de Liège, Belgique), Susanne HAHN (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf), Julie JEBEILE (University of Bern), Eric KERR (National University of Singapore), Esther KEYMOLEN (Tilburg University), Naoe KIYOTAKA (Tohoku University), Pieter LEMMENS (Radboud University), Richard LEWIS (UCLille), Sacha LOEVE (University of Lyon 3), Janina LOH (University of Vienna), Alain LOUTE (UCLille), Martin PETERSON (A&M University), Victor PETIT (Université de technologie de Troyes), Tyler REIGELUTH (Université de Grenoble-Alpes), Dario RODIGHIERO (MIT/EPFL), Antoinette ROUVROY (University of Namur), Robert ROSENBERGER (Georgia Tec), Nicola RUSSO (University of Naple), François SEBBAH (Paris Nanterre University), Gemma SERRANO (Collège des Bernardins), Shannon VALLOR (Santa Clara University), Yoni VAN DEN EEDE (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Peter-Paul VERBEEK (University of Twente), Pieter VERMAAS (TU Delft), Galit WELLNER (Tel Aviv University/NB School of Design), Ernst WOLFF (KU Leuven)