R&L Logo R&L Logo
  • GENERAL
    • Browse by Subjects
    • New Releases
    • Coming Soon
    • Chases's Calendar
  • ACADEMIC
    • Textbooks
    • Browse by Course
    • Instructor's Copies
    • Monographs & Research
    • Reference
  • PROFESSIONAL
    • Education
    • Intelligence & Security
    • Library Services
    • Business & Leadership
    • Museum Studies
    • Music
    • Pastoral Resources
    • Psychotherapy
  • FREUD SET
Cover Image
Hardback
Paperback
eBook
share of facebook share on twitter
Add to GoodReads

Nihilism and Technology

Nolen Gertz

Heidegger, Marcuse, and Ellul warned against the rise of a technological mass culture. Philosophy of technology has since turned away from such dystopic views, promoting instead the view that we shape technologies just as technologies shape us. Yet the rise of Big Data has exceeded our worst fears about Big Brother, leading us to again question whether technologies are empowering us or enslaving us.

Rather than engage in endless debates about whether technologies are making us better or making us worse, Nolen Gertz investigates what we think “better” and “worse” mean, and what role this thinking has played in the creation of our technological world. This investigation is carried out by using Nietzsche’s philosophy of nihilism in order to explore the ways in which our values mediate how we design technologies and how we use technologies. Examining our technological practices—practices ranging from Netflix and Chill to Fitbit and Move to Twitter and Rage—reveals how our nihilism and our technologies have become intertwined, creating a world of techno-hypnosis, data-driven activity, pleasure economics, herd networking, and orgies of clicking.
  • Details
  • Details
  • Author
  • Author
  • TOC
  • TOC
  • Reviews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Features
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / Rowman & Littlefield International
Pages: 242 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-1-78660-702-7 • Hardback • June 2018 • $104.00 • (£80.00)
978-1-78660-703-4 • Paperback • June 2018 • $44.00 • (£35.00)
978-1-78660-704-1 • eBook • June 2018 • $41.50 • (£35.00)
Subjects: Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Philosophy / Continental Philosophy, Philosophy / Philosophy of Technology

Nolen Gertz is assistant professor of applied philosophy at the University of Twente, and a Senior Researcher at the 4TU.Centre for Ethics and Technology. He is the author of The Philosophy of War and Exile. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Forbes, and on ABC Australia.

1. Nietzsche and Chill / 2. The Will to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ / 3. The Hammer of the Gods / 4. Ecce Hulu / 5. Amor Fitbit / 6. The Uber Mensch / 7. Thus Spake Zuckerberg / 8. The Trolling of the Idols / 9. Google is Dead

[Nolen Gertz] is remarkably adept at translating Nietzsche’s analysis of nihilistic living — which looks at how we develop strategies for coping with a way of life that undermines our very humanity — into instantly recognizable terms stretching from “Netflix and chill” to smugshrugs and emoji to the gamification of health and well beyond.
— The New Atlantis, Winter 2019


[T]his book is an interesting application of Nietzsche to the digital world. ... While Gertz's attempt to break from the pack of contemporary philosophy of technology is too quick and unconvincing, his critique of key modern technologies that impact the daily lives of billions is much more interesting. It is this that recommends the book.


— Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews


In this short but hugely engaging book, Nolen Gertz […] manages to both provide a compelling and rich introduction to Friedrich Nietzsche and nihilism as well as avoid the all-too common reductionism of popular discourse around technology. Rather than boil down the question of technology to the simple binary choice of ‘is this thing good or bad?’, Nihilism and Technology presents a far more intriguing and challenging set of questions. […] The book is a lively and convincing read, which thanks to its wide appeal and accessible and often dryly funny prose, deserves to find a wide audience far outside the often narrow confines of academic philosophical discourse.
— LSE Review of Books


At times uncanny, yet thoroughly unsettling, Nolan Gertz’s Nihilism and Technology is an unquestionable synthesis of Nietzschean philosophy of nihilism brought to bear on our often overlooked uses and co-construction of technologies. Nihilism and Technology is, more often than not, a forceful analysis of how the human-technosocial world is becoming ever more nihilistic. Gertz eschews the overdone and clichéd positions of techno-optimism and techno-pessimism in favour of a reimagining of Nietzsche’s evaluation of nihilism with an analysis of human-technology relations. What results is a graceful marriage of traditionally convinced Nietzschean concepts and postphenomenology; something that has yet to be achieved with modern technology.

…

At its core, the book is less of a dry, academic text and more of a satire on technology and our relations with it. Gertz writes with a prose that is often tongue in cheek and at some points outright funny. It shifts the reader outside the consciousness of binary value judgements of technology. Good and bad become secondary as Gertz moves beyond the concepts to a meta-evaluation of how we live in the world with our technologies, or separated from them. Nihilism and Technology is a timely and original text that should be given exposure beyond the walls of the academy. Its philosophical rigour and treatment of human–technology relations makes it widely readable. It comes highly recommended.


— Prometheus


[…] a provocative and unsettling philosophical inquiry into our increasingly compulsive technological practices, revealing how our nihilism and our technologies have been raveled in a twist. [...] Gertz asks us whose meaning is being conveyed by emojis, what is the true currency of the sharing economy, why do we troll or shame others online, who is obeying the Fitbit’s command to “Move!”
— Hong Kong Review of Books


Nolen Gertz’s Nihilism and Technology is a provocative and unsettling call to reconceive the entire social media ecosystem—and our increasingly compulsive participation in it—as a seduction to nihilism: an open invitation to seek ever-new escapes from ourselves, from the burdens of our choices, and from our own missed opportunities to make meaning in our lives and our world.
— Shannon Vallor, The University of Edinburgh


An extremely important and thought-provoking study that is refreshingly original. By examining current technologies through the eyes of nihilism, Gertz provides new insights and ways of looking at how humans interact with these technologies. It is highly readable and should become part of any course in the philosophy and ethics of technology.
— John Weckert, Professor of Computer Ethics, Charles Sturt University


By discussing technology through the lens of the Nietzschean question regarding nihilism, Nolen Gertz offers an interesting palette of philosophical inquiries that is highly relevant for thinking about the roles technology plays in our lives and existence. It speaks to many normative and existential concerns we should have today: does technology help us to remain complacent with the status quo and to avoid making important decisions about our lives? Do we exercise power over others by using seemingly innocent technologies such as social media? Is our dependency on Google proof of our reliance on external sources of meaning? Joining a growing choir of critical voices, Gertz shows that as individuals and as societies we face serious challenges here and that technology is not just about gadgets or things; it is also always about how to lead one's life.
— Mark Coeckelbergh, professor of philosophy, University of Vienna, author of The Political Philosophy of AI, AI Ethics, and Robot Ethics


7/12/20: Forbes quoted author in “Dealing with Fresh Critiques of Agile.”

Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2020/07/12/dealing-with-fresh-critiques-of-agile/#66c240104072



Nihilism and Technology

Cover Image
Hardback
Paperback
eBook
Summary
Summary
  • Heidegger, Marcuse, and Ellul warned against the rise of a technological mass culture. Philosophy of technology has since turned away from such dystopic views, promoting instead the view that we shape technologies just as technologies shape us. Yet the rise of Big Data has exceeded our worst fears about Big Brother, leading us to again question whether technologies are empowering us or enslaving us.

    Rather than engage in endless debates about whether technologies are making us better or making us worse, Nolen Gertz investigates what we think “better” and “worse” mean, and what role this thinking has played in the creation of our technological world. This investigation is carried out by using Nietzsche’s philosophy of nihilism in order to explore the ways in which our values mediate how we design technologies and how we use technologies. Examining our technological practices—practices ranging from Netflix and Chill to Fitbit and Move to Twitter and Rage—reveals how our nihilism and our technologies have become intertwined, creating a world of techno-hypnosis, data-driven activity, pleasure economics, herd networking, and orgies of clicking.
Details
Details
  • Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / Rowman & Littlefield International
    Pages: 242 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
    978-1-78660-702-7 • Hardback • June 2018 • $104.00 • (£80.00)
    978-1-78660-703-4 • Paperback • June 2018 • $44.00 • (£35.00)
    978-1-78660-704-1 • eBook • June 2018 • $41.50 • (£35.00)
    Subjects: Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Philosophy / Continental Philosophy, Philosophy / Philosophy of Technology
Author
Author
  • Nolen Gertz is assistant professor of applied philosophy at the University of Twente, and a Senior Researcher at the 4TU.Centre for Ethics and Technology. He is the author of The Philosophy of War and Exile. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Forbes, and on ABC Australia.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
  • 1. Nietzsche and Chill / 2. The Will to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ / 3. The Hammer of the Gods / 4. Ecce Hulu / 5. Amor Fitbit / 6. The Uber Mensch / 7. Thus Spake Zuckerberg / 8. The Trolling of the Idols / 9. Google is Dead

Reviews
Reviews
  • [Nolen Gertz] is remarkably adept at translating Nietzsche’s analysis of nihilistic living — which looks at how we develop strategies for coping with a way of life that undermines our very humanity — into instantly recognizable terms stretching from “Netflix and chill” to smugshrugs and emoji to the gamification of health and well beyond.
    — The New Atlantis, Winter 2019


    [T]his book is an interesting application of Nietzsche to the digital world. ... While Gertz's attempt to break from the pack of contemporary philosophy of technology is too quick and unconvincing, his critique of key modern technologies that impact the daily lives of billions is much more interesting. It is this that recommends the book.


    — Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews


    In this short but hugely engaging book, Nolen Gertz […] manages to both provide a compelling and rich introduction to Friedrich Nietzsche and nihilism as well as avoid the all-too common reductionism of popular discourse around technology. Rather than boil down the question of technology to the simple binary choice of ‘is this thing good or bad?’, Nihilism and Technology presents a far more intriguing and challenging set of questions. […] The book is a lively and convincing read, which thanks to its wide appeal and accessible and often dryly funny prose, deserves to find a wide audience far outside the often narrow confines of academic philosophical discourse.
    — LSE Review of Books


    At times uncanny, yet thoroughly unsettling, Nolan Gertz’s Nihilism and Technology is an unquestionable synthesis of Nietzschean philosophy of nihilism brought to bear on our often overlooked uses and co-construction of technologies. Nihilism and Technology is, more often than not, a forceful analysis of how the human-technosocial world is becoming ever more nihilistic. Gertz eschews the overdone and clichéd positions of techno-optimism and techno-pessimism in favour of a reimagining of Nietzsche’s evaluation of nihilism with an analysis of human-technology relations. What results is a graceful marriage of traditionally convinced Nietzschean concepts and postphenomenology; something that has yet to be achieved with modern technology.

    …

    At its core, the book is less of a dry, academic text and more of a satire on technology and our relations with it. Gertz writes with a prose that is often tongue in cheek and at some points outright funny. It shifts the reader outside the consciousness of binary value judgements of technology. Good and bad become secondary as Gertz moves beyond the concepts to a meta-evaluation of how we live in the world with our technologies, or separated from them. Nihilism and Technology is a timely and original text that should be given exposure beyond the walls of the academy. Its philosophical rigour and treatment of human–technology relations makes it widely readable. It comes highly recommended.


    — Prometheus


    […] a provocative and unsettling philosophical inquiry into our increasingly compulsive technological practices, revealing how our nihilism and our technologies have been raveled in a twist. [...] Gertz asks us whose meaning is being conveyed by emojis, what is the true currency of the sharing economy, why do we troll or shame others online, who is obeying the Fitbit’s command to “Move!”
    — Hong Kong Review of Books


    Nolen Gertz’s Nihilism and Technology is a provocative and unsettling call to reconceive the entire social media ecosystem—and our increasingly compulsive participation in it—as a seduction to nihilism: an open invitation to seek ever-new escapes from ourselves, from the burdens of our choices, and from our own missed opportunities to make meaning in our lives and our world.
    — Shannon Vallor, The University of Edinburgh


    An extremely important and thought-provoking study that is refreshingly original. By examining current technologies through the eyes of nihilism, Gertz provides new insights and ways of looking at how humans interact with these technologies. It is highly readable and should become part of any course in the philosophy and ethics of technology.
    — John Weckert, Professor of Computer Ethics, Charles Sturt University


    By discussing technology through the lens of the Nietzschean question regarding nihilism, Nolen Gertz offers an interesting palette of philosophical inquiries that is highly relevant for thinking about the roles technology plays in our lives and existence. It speaks to many normative and existential concerns we should have today: does technology help us to remain complacent with the status quo and to avoid making important decisions about our lives? Do we exercise power over others by using seemingly innocent technologies such as social media? Is our dependency on Google proof of our reliance on external sources of meaning? Joining a growing choir of critical voices, Gertz shows that as individuals and as societies we face serious challenges here and that technology is not just about gadgets or things; it is also always about how to lead one's life.
    — Mark Coeckelbergh, professor of philosophy, University of Vienna, author of The Political Philosophy of AI, AI Ethics, and Robot Ethics


Features
Features
  • 7/12/20: Forbes quoted author in “Dealing with Fresh Critiques of Agile.”

    Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2020/07/12/dealing-with-fresh-critiques-of-agile/#66c240104072



ALSO AVAILABLE

  • Cover image for the book The Right Thing to Do: Readings in Moral Philosophy, Eighth Edition
  • Cover image for the book Moral Theory: An Introduction, Third Edition
  • Cover image for the book Historical Dictionary of Ethics, Second Edition
  • Cover image for the book On the Ethical Philosophy of Edith Stein: Outlines of Morality
  • Cover image for the book Redescribing Bioethics: How the Field Constructs Its Argument
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Admiration
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Gratitude
  • Cover image for the book Food, Environment, and Climate Change: Justice at the Intersections
  • Cover image for the book Why Suicide Is Amoral: A Philosophical Account
  • Cover image for the book Nihilism and Technology, Updated Edition
  • Cover image for the book Progressive Consequentialism: Reflections on the Imperfect Moral Obligations of Imperfect Agents Living in an Imperfect World
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Guilt
  • Cover image for the book Privacy, Security and Accountability: Ethics, Law and Policy
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Regret
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Anxiety
  • Cover image for the book The Dying Experience: Expanding Options for Dying and Suffering Patients
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Hope
  • Cover image for the book Overcoming Epistemic Injustice: Social and Psychological Perspectives
  • Cover image for the book The Roots of Equality: Anthropological and Normative Sources
  • Cover image for the book The Evil of Banality: On the Life and Death Importance of Thinking, Expanded Edition
  • Cover image for the book Humans and Robots: Ethics, Agency, and Anthropomorphism
  • Cover image for the book Feeling Animal Death: Being Host to Ghosts
  • Cover image for the book The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Bioethics
  • Cover image for the book Bioethics Beyond the Headlines: Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Decides?
  • Cover image for the book Space Ethics
  • Cover image for the book Motivation in the Ancient Greek Ethos: Punishment, Shame, and Moral Guilt
  • Cover image for the book The Philosophical Foundation of Alt-Right Politics and Ressentiment
  • Cover image for the book Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology
  • Cover image for the book Nanotechnology: Regulation and Public Discourse
  • Cover image for the book The Annotated Kant: Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals
  • Cover image for the book Problem-Based Ethics: A New Approach to the Application of Moral Theory
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Compassion
  • Cover image for the book Between Desire and Reason: Rights Discourse at the Crossroads
  • Cover image for the book Democracy and Morality: Religious and Secular Views
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Hate
  • Cover image for the book Global Development Ethics: A Critique of Global Capitalism
  • Cover image for the book Ethics for Disaster, Second Edition
  • Cover image for the book Caregiving, Carebots, and Contagion
  • Cover image for the book Steps toward a Philosophy of Engineering: Historico-Philosophical and Critical Essays
  • Cover image for the book The Right Thing to Do: Readings in Moral Philosophy, Eighth Edition
  • Cover image for the book Moral Theory: An Introduction, Third Edition
  • Cover image for the book Historical Dictionary of Ethics, Second Edition
  • Cover image for the book On the Ethical Philosophy of Edith Stein: Outlines of Morality
  • Cover image for the book Redescribing Bioethics: How the Field Constructs Its Argument
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Admiration
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Gratitude
  • Cover image for the book Food, Environment, and Climate Change: Justice at the Intersections
  • Cover image for the book Why Suicide Is Amoral: A Philosophical Account
  • Cover image for the book Nihilism and Technology, Updated Edition
  • Cover image for the book Progressive Consequentialism: Reflections on the Imperfect Moral Obligations of Imperfect Agents Living in an Imperfect World
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Guilt
  • Cover image for the book Privacy, Security and Accountability: Ethics, Law and Policy
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Regret
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Anxiety
  • Cover image for the book The Dying Experience: Expanding Options for Dying and Suffering Patients
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Hope
  • Cover image for the book Overcoming Epistemic Injustice: Social and Psychological Perspectives
  • Cover image for the book The Roots of Equality: Anthropological and Normative Sources
  • Cover image for the book The Evil of Banality: On the Life and Death Importance of Thinking, Expanded Edition
  • Cover image for the book Humans and Robots: Ethics, Agency, and Anthropomorphism
  • Cover image for the book Feeling Animal Death: Being Host to Ghosts
  • Cover image for the book The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Bioethics
  • Cover image for the book Bioethics Beyond the Headlines: Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Decides?
  • Cover image for the book Space Ethics
  • Cover image for the book Motivation in the Ancient Greek Ethos: Punishment, Shame, and Moral Guilt
  • Cover image for the book The Philosophical Foundation of Alt-Right Politics and Ressentiment
  • Cover image for the book Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology
  • Cover image for the book Nanotechnology: Regulation and Public Discourse
  • Cover image for the book The Annotated Kant: Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals
  • Cover image for the book Problem-Based Ethics: A New Approach to the Application of Moral Theory
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Compassion
  • Cover image for the book Between Desire and Reason: Rights Discourse at the Crossroads
  • Cover image for the book Democracy and Morality: Religious and Secular Views
  • Cover image for the book The Moral Psychology of Hate
  • Cover image for the book Global Development Ethics: A Critique of Global Capitalism
  • Cover image for the book Ethics for Disaster, Second Edition
  • Cover image for the book Caregiving, Carebots, and Contagion
  • Cover image for the book Steps toward a Philosophy of Engineering: Historico-Philosophical and Critical Essays
facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon linked in icon NEWSLETTERS
ABOUT US
  • Mission Statement
  • Employment
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Statement
CONTACT
  • Company Directory
  • Publicity and Media Queries
  • Rights and Permissions
  • Textbook Resource Center
AUTHOR RESOURCES
  • Royalty Contact
  • Production Guidelines
  • Manuscript Submissions
ORDERING INFORMATION
  • Rowman & Littlefield
  • National Book Network
  • Ingram Publisher Services UK
  • Special Sales
  • International Sales
  • eBook Partners
  • Digital Catalogs
IMPRINTS
  • Rowman & Littlefield
  • Lexington Books
  • Hamilton Books
  • Applause Books
  • Amadeus Press
  • Backbeat Books
  • Bernan
  • Hal Leonard Books
  • Limelight Editions
  • Co-Publishing Partners
  • Globe Pequot
  • Down East Books
  • Falcon Guides
  • Gooseberry Patch
  • Lyons Press
  • Muddy Boots
  • Pineapple Press
  • TwoDot Books
  • Stackpole Books
PARTNERS
  • American Alliance of Museums
  • American Association for State and Local History
  • Brookings Institution Press
  • Center for Strategic & International Studies
  • Council on Foreign Relations
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
  • Fortress Press
  • The Foundation for Critical Thinking
  • Lehigh University Press
  • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
  • Other Partners...