Suzana Alpsancar

 

Postgraduate School Topology of Technology
Karolinenplatz 5 (P.O. Box 1404)
64289 Darmstadt
Germany

 
email: alpsancar(at)phil.tu-darmstadt.de

phone: +49(0)6151-164986

 

Phd-Project

"Questioning computers as a philosophical object"

In my dissertation I am questioning computers by analyzing exemplary constitutions of computers by Vilém Flussers (1980s) and Mark Weiser (1990s). Since computers became a mass-product there are seen and discussed as a crucial factor forming the world we are living in.

In contrast, most contributions rather discuss the impacts of computer developments (e.g. for our concepts of subjectivity, cultural change, changing of ontology etc.) than questioning the computer itself. To give an example: one concept of the early computer-debates uses the model of computers as brain machines, defines computing as calculating and opens the vision of having an instrument for solving world-problems which are seen as problems which can be solved by calculating. Another concept uses the model of computers as a medium. It serves to network people and is often connected to political visions of dezentralized communication and non-hierachical structure of society. In reality, these debates are discussion the term of calucation, intelligence or medium but not of the computer itself.

There is no simple answer to the question, what a computer is nor in what kind of relation we are when acting or interacting with them. Therefore, my thesis is questioning the computer as a philosophical object in four steps: 

(1) Analysing exemplary constitutions of computers by Vilém Flusser and Mark Weiser. 

(2) Exposing the difficulties in these constitutions.

(3) Re-questioning these constitutions by analyzing and expounding body- and space concepts incorporate in these computer-constitutions. 

(4) Phenomenological descriptions of daily computer-usage. 

In my final discussion I will bring all these aspects together and expound the question if there is such a generic thing  that we can name computer or if and why the "nature" of computers detracts them from a distinct containment. Consequently, I will work on finding a philosophical term of computers. 

 

Research Interests

• Philosophy of technology
• Theory of Space
• Computerkonstitutions (esp. Ubiquitous computing,  Virtual space)   
• Theory of space
• New Ontologies
• Theoretical border-crossings and transformations of dualisms

 

Resume

• 2007 - 2010 Phd-Student at the Graduate School Topology of Technology and at the Institute of Philosophy, Technische Universität Darmstadt. 
• 2000-2006 Study of Philosophy, Linguistics, History and Computer Science at  Technischen Universität Chemnitz (Germany) and Universidad de Alicante (Spain).
• School Education in Cologne, Rösrath (Germany), Abilene (USA).
• Born 1981 in Cologne (Germany).

 

Publications

• The dialectical process of Flussers point [Flussers Dialektik des Punktes]. In: Suzana Alpsancar/Petra Gehring/ Marc Rölli: Problems of space [Raumprobleme]. München Fink 2010 (in preparation). 
• Flussers interpretation of Technoimages. How the world is becoming concrete again. [Flussers Verständnis der Technobilder. Wie die Welt wieder anschaulich werden kann]. In: Matthias Flatscher et al (Ed.): Graduate-Conference of Phenomenology [Graduiertentagung für Phänomenologie] Wien 09/2007, Selected Essays. Zetabooks 2010 (in print). 
• World of technology — technological world? [Welt der Technik â€” technische Welt?], report of the international Conference "Technologies of Globalisation", Darmstadt 30.-31.10.2008, together with Ulf Blanke and Frauke Nowak. In: TATuP, Heft 1, 18. Jg. 05/2009.  
• Report of the XXI. German Congress of Philosophie "Lifeworld and Science" [XXI. Deutscher Kongress für Philosophie "Lebenswelt und Wissenschaft"], Essen 15.-19.09.2008, together with Kai Denker, Andreas Hetzel, Andreas Kaminski, Marc Rölli and Maxine Saborowski. In: Journal of Phenomenology [Journal für Phänomenologie], 30/2009. 
• Review of "Martina Heßler, The creative city. Reinvention of a topos [Die kreative Stadt. Zur Neuerfindung eines Topos] (Urban Studies), Transcript Bielefeld 2007. In: AfS, Bd. 49/2009.  
• Navigating with GPS. An approach to our relation to technological assistance. [Im Verhältnis mit GPS. Eine Annäherung an das Mitsein mit technischen Bewegungsassistenten]. Presentation at the XXI. German Congress of Philosophy [XXI. Deutscher Kongress für Philosophie], Essen, Germany, Section 18: Philosophy of Technology, 09/2008.
• Habermas' critique of Bataille: Communication of the modern subject between disruption and souveranity. [Habermas' Kritik an Bataille: Kommunikation des modernen Subjekts zwischen Zerissenheit und Souveränität]. In: Sic et Non. zeitschrift für philosophie und kultur. im netz. #8/2007.

 

Presentations

• (2009, 05/29): Computing-Spaces. From boxes to smart environments. Invited Speech at the Felsefe Bölümü (Institute of Philosophy), Galtasaray Ãœniversitesi, Istanbul (Turkey). 
• (2008, 09/18): Navigating with GPS. An approach to our relation to technological assistance. [Im Verhältnis mit GPS. Eine Annäherung an das Mitsein mit technischen Bewegungsassistenten]. XXI. German Congress of Philosophy [XXI. Deutscher Kongress für Philosophie], Essen, Germany.
• (2008, 06/06): A Comment to 'Ubiquitous Computing meets Semantic Technology' by Irina Gurevych and Max Mühlhäuser. Ubiquitous Computing – what is it heading for? [Ubiquitous Computing - auf dem Sprung wohin?] Conference, Darmstadt, Germany.
• (2007, 10/05.): Surface, zero dimension, network. [Oberfläche, Nulldimensionalität, Netz]. International Conference of the German Association of Phenomenological Research [Deutsche Gesellschaft für Phänomenologische Forschung], Darmstadt. Germany.
• (2007, 09/25.): Flusser's analyses of techno images. How to concretize the world. [Flussers Verständnis der Technobilder. Wie die Welt wieder anschaulich werden kann]. First Austrian Graduate Conference of Phenomenology, Vienna, Austria.
• with F. Nowak (2007, 07/05.): Intelligence? Everywhere! Some aspects of ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence. Within the framework of the International Summer School "Technologies and their Environments: The Circulation of Materials, People, and Knowledge in 20th-Century Europe", Kloster Jakobsberg. Germany.

 

Activities

• (2008, 10) Organization of stream 5 "Aging as a global issue - a challenge for technology and society" of the International Conference "Technologies of Globalisation" .
• (2008, 05) Organization of the interdisciplinary workshop "Technologized bodies and the perception of space."

 

Teaching

• Summer 2009, undergraduate-course "Phenomenological theories of technology" [Phänomenologische Techniktheorien], together with Dr. Andreas Kaminski and Christian Diel, Technische Universität Darmstadt, (Germany). 
• Winter 2008, reading-course "Maurice Merleau-Ponty: The Phenomenology of Perception" [Phänomenologie der Wahrnehmung], together with Dr. Andreas Kaminski, Technische Universität Darmstadt, (Germany). 
• Winter 2008, undergraduate-course "Karl Marx: concepts for history" [Konzepte für Geschichte], together with Dr. Andreas Kaminski, Technische Universität Darmstadt, (Germany).