What exactly is the internet? In order to answer this question, I propose we turn to Hegel, to inquire what he might say about the internet’s artificiality, its connectivity, and its binary logic. Clearly, the internet is more than its material excess: more than servers, fibre optic cables, and warehouses of batteries. It is, perhaps, an extension of spirit and a redoubling of spirit’s artificiality. Algorithms, packet switching, nodes, and networks – the quantifiable contours of cyberspace present a unique hardening of spirit’s edges while simultaneously opening up the possibility for spirited union across the traditional constraints of space. Join for this ontological exploration of cyberspace, as we consider the flattening logic of 0’s and 1’s, the displacement of place, and new openings of the infinite.

Speaker's Info:

Katherine Everitt is a Hegelian scholar. Her research is primarily focused on the ontology of space, as well as contemporary science and technology. Her writing has been published in outlets such as 'The Philosophical Salon' and 'Everyday Analysis.' In addition to the works of Hegel, Katherine reads and publishes on the works of Bachelard and Badiou.