The Picture of Artificial Intelligence and the Secularization of Thought
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Authors
Leung, King-HoAffiliation
University of ChesterPublication Date
2019-04-17
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This article offers a critical interpretation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a philosophical notion which exemplifies a secular conception of thinking. One way in which AI notably differs from the conventional understanding of “thinking” is that, according to AI, “intelligence” or “thinking” does not necessarily require “life” as a precondition: that it is possible to have “thinking without life.” Building on Charles Taylor’s critical account of secularity as well as Hubert Dreyfus’ influential critique of AI, this article offers a theological analysis of AI’s “lifeless” picture of thinking in relation to the Augustinian conception of God as “Life itself.” Following this critical theological analysis, this article argues that AI’s notion of thinking promotes a societal privilege of certain rationalistic or calculative ways of thought over more existential or spiritual ways of thinking, and thereby fosters a secularization or de-spiritualization of thinking as an ethical human practice.Citation
Leung, K.-H. (2019). The Picture of Artificial Intelligence and the Secularization of Thought. Political Theology, 20(6), 457-471Publisher
Taylor & FrancisJournal
Political TheologyAdditional Links
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1462317X.2019.1605725Type
ArticleLanguage
enDescription
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Political Theology on 17-4-19, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/1462317X.2019.1605725ISSN
1462-317XEISSN
1743-1719ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/1462317X.2019.1605725