Algorithmic culture and the colonization of life-worlds

This article explores some of the concerns which are being raised about algorithms with recourse to Habermas’s theory of communicative action. The intention is not to undertake an empirical examination of ‘algorithms’ or their consequences but to connect critical theory to some contemporary concerns...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Thesis eleven 2018-06, Vol.146 (1), p.87-96
Main Author: Gilbert, Andrew Simon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Big Data
Colonization
Communication theory
Communicative action
Critical theory
Culture
Habermas, Jurgen
Lebenswelt
Political communication
Privatization
Social problems
Social theories
Theory
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Summary:This article explores some of the concerns which are being raised about algorithms with recourse to Habermas’s theory of communicative action. The intention is not to undertake an empirical examination of ‘algorithms’ or their consequences but to connect critical theory to some contemporary concerns regarding digital cultures. Habermas’s ‘colonization of life-worlds’ thesis gives theoretical expression to two different trends which underlie many current criticisms of the insidious influence of digital algorithms: the privatization of communication, and the particularization of knowledge and experience. Habermas’s social theory therefore offers a useful framework for exploring some of the normative and political problems that are attributed to ‘algorithmic culture’ and ‘big data’.
ISSN:0725-5136
1461-7455
DOI:10.1177/0725513618776699