Lecture on November 26, 2025
What, if anything, are convivial technologies?
Prof. Dr. Darian Meacham (Maastricht University, NL)
About the lecture [poster, pdf]
The distinction between “convivial” and “monopolistic” technologies, introduced in the 1970s by the philosopher Ivan Illich, was the foundation for a radical critique of contemporary technological society (Illich 1973). This key distinction was adopted in a critique of technology and economic reason (Gorz 1988) by French critical phenomenology (avant la lettre).
This talk will focus on how this distinction between convivial and monopolistic (or non-convivial) technologies can support a critical phenomenology of technology. I will argue that Gorz attempts to do just this, but that his development of the “convivial – un-convivial” distinction in terms of a broader account of “autonomy” vs “heteronomy” would benefit from a more phenomenologically grounded account of autonomy. I will pose (and try to address) the question of whether a more embodied account of autonomy, such as developed within the context of enactive approaches to cognition would serve such an aim.
A third step will be to ask if and how an enactively enriched notion of autonomy, when situated within the critique of technology and economic rationality, can contribute to the development of programmes for “concrete utopias”.
About the speaker
Darian Meacham is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Maastricht University and chair of the Philosophy Department at Maastricht University. His expertise spans the political philosophy of technology, responsible innovation, and the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI). With a background in phenomenology, his research critically examines the ethical, legal, and societal aspects (ELSA) of digital transformation and the role of public values in technological development. Darian’s work is highly interdisciplinary work spanning philosophy, data science, and responsible innovation, he contributes to understanding the societal and economic impacts of emerging technologies es while informing regulatory and governance frameworks.
photo credit: Meacham, cropped
Wednesday, 26. November 2025, 18:15-19:45 (CET)
Address for joining us on-site:
Flügelbau Ost, 2. OG, Raum O221
Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1
20146 Hamburg
