Love and Sex in Digital World: Philosophy, Ethics and Theology
On-site in Tartu, 31 July - 10 August 2023
Digital technologies have tremendously transformed all spheres of our life, including romantic and sexual relationships. This course is an attempt to analyse all those changes from philosophical, ethical, and theological perspectives.
It will discuss a variety of topics from the ethics of dating apps and online infidelity to cybersex and future relationships with robots. Philosophy, ethics, and theology have a long history of discussing love and sex, and this course will provide a fresh look at existing discussions by adding recent technological influences to them. Moreover, this course will try to show how contemporary humanities could contribute to the development of technologies to make them more ethical.
| Focus area: | Philosophy, ethics, theology | Coordinating unit at UT |
School of Theology and Religious Studies, Department of Philosophy |
| Study Field: | Humanities | Course Leader | Anastasiia Babash, Junior Research Fellow |
| Format | Summer course | Location | Tartu, Estonia |
| Course dates: | 31- 10 August 2023 | Apply by: | 30 April 2023 |
| ECTS: | 2 | Fee: | 550 € |
| Study group | advanced BA, MA, PhD | Language | English |
Lecturers:
- Anastasiia Babash, University of Tartu
The course aims to cover the past, present, and future of cyber love and cybersex.
After the brief overlook on the main discussions in philosophy and ethics of love and sex, the course will follow to the very beginning of digital technologies and how do cyber love and cybersex have become possible. It will explore the nature of cyberspace and its specific features that create similarities and differences between online and offline romantic and sexual relationships. We will focus on them and, thus, discuss such questions as to whether virtual reality is perceived or imagined, or something in between, whether the touch is mediated or immediate sense in cyberspace, etc.
The course will also explore different moral views on cyber love and cybersex in the very beginning of the use of digital technologies and how they have changed by today. It will focus on different moral dilemmas and concrete cases to understand how we are building in real-time the contemporary ethics of digital technologies.It will also discuss how do cyber love and cybersex have influenced love and sex generally and what are the future trends. In the course, we also discuss how philosophers, ethicists, and theologians could possibly influence the development of digital technologies and shape them.Therefore, the preliminary program includes these topics that will be covered during one full study week at the beginning of August (1-5 of August):
- philosophy of love and sex: a short introduction into the history of research and how does cyber love and cybersex challenge the existing definitions;
- philosophy of technology: the nature of cyber space, its ontology and phenomenology and, specifically, how does cyberspace make possible and influence relationships online;
- theology of love and sex: a short introduction into the history of religious views on love and sex and contemporary discussions of cyber love and cybersex in the main religions;
- ethics of cyber love and cybersex: online cheating, dating apps, parasocial relationships, online sex work, and cyber rape;
- possible future relationships with technologies:love and sex with robots.
The course presupposes the short preliminary readings that will be sent closer to the dates of the school, as well as the active participation in the seminars. The course is built around student interactions and discussions. We will also have a cultural program altogether that includes watching movies related to the topic, playing games, etc.
The students can participate in cultural programme events in the evenings.
Entry requirements:
- Online application form
- Motivation letter (up to 1 page) that demonstrates the applicant’s motivation to participate, his/her expectations about the programme, how participation in the summer programme relates to his/her studies and interests, and how the applicant plans to use the gained experience and knowledge in the future.
- Transcript of academic records
- Copy of passport
PS: Only complete applications including all annexes submitted by the deadline will be considered for selection.
After successful completion of the summer course the student:
- is familiar with the main developments of contemporary philosophy, ethics, and theology of love and sex;
- has an overview of the contemporary philosophical and theological discussions on cyber love and cybersex in particular;
- is able to argue in favour or against various moral dilemmas that have arisen and continue to arise when digital technologies are transforming the ways we fall in love and have sex;
- is able to construct their own argumentative views on cyber love and cybersex;
Two weeks prior to the start of the programme an information file will be sent to all participants. This file contains the daily schedule and relevant contact information of the programme managers.
Students are responsible for their travel, accommodation and travel insurance (visa arrangements if needed) from their home country to Tartu and back to their home country. It is recommended to visit the Tartu Welcome Centre website and arrival and housing section to find accommodation opportunities.
