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Prometheus Wired

The Hope for Democracy in the Age of Network Technology
  • Darin Barney
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2007

About this book

From all sides, we hear that computer technology, with its undeniable power to disseminate information and connect individuals, holds enormous potential for a reinvigoration of political life. But will the Internet really spark a democratic revolution? And will the changes it brings be so profound that past political thought will be of little use in helping us to understand them?

In Prometheus Wired, Darin Barney debunks claims that a networked society will provide the infrastructure for a political revolution and shows that the resources we need for understanding and making sound judgments about this new technology are surprisingly close at hand. By looking to thinkers who grappled with the relationship of society and technology, such as Plato, Aristotle, Marx, and Heidegger, Barney critically examines such assertions about the character of digital networks.

Along the way, Barney offers an eye-opening history of digital networks and then explores a wide range of contemporary issues, such as electronic commerce, telecommuting, privacy, virtual community, digital surveillance, and the possibility of sovereign governance in an age of global networks. Ultimately, Barney argues that instead of placing power back in the hands of the public, a networked economy seems to exacerbate the worst features of industrial capitalism, and, in terms of the surveillance and control it exerts, reduces our political freedom.

Of vital interest to politicians, communicators, and anyone concerned about the future of democracy in the digital age, Prometheus Wired adds a provocative new voice to the debate swirling around "the Net" and the ways in which it will, or will not, change our political lives.

Author / Editor information

Darin Barney teaches in the Department of Communication at the University of Ottawa.

Reviews

The book presents an originality that is refreshing. Few authors have analysed information technology from the “meta-perspective” of Barney. While reading the book I spontaneously felt “this is a book that concerns everyone.” Ideally, the text should be recommended to all students involved in economic, technical and philosophical disciplines. Prometheus Wired is superbly written and thought provoking. --- This is a welcome and provocative addition to the growing literature on the politics of the Internet. In addition to its rich intellectual texture and mother-lode of information about computer hard- and software, it is a quick read because the author has a sharpe tongue and makes excellent points.

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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
August 15, 2023
eBook ISBN:
9780774852173
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
350
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https://doi.org/10.59962/9780774852173
eBook ISBN: 9780774852173
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
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