ARE YOU JUST INSIDE YOUR SKIN OR IS YOUR SMARTPHONE PART OF YOU?

By: Karina Vold

Published: Aeon https://aeon.co/ideas/are-you-just-inside-your-skin-or-is-your-smartphone-part-of-you

Level of Difficulty: **

LISTEN, HIGHLIGHT AND TAKE NOTES

Click on the icon to the left of your screen to listen to the text. As you listen, make sure to highlight the important points and/or take notes

QUESTIONS

1.       What makes the aftermath of the story of the gunman disturbing?

2.       The current capabilities of smartphones lead to the possible conclusion that…

3.        The underlying logic of the view that smartphones and similar gadgets are part of us is that …

4.       Why are the views of Descartes and Locke no longer viable?

5.       Refer back to question three. What conclusion can we draw concerning our identity?

6.       Given our current laws concerning privacy, it now makes sense to…

7.       The extended mind thesis has implications after death too because the argument could be made that…

8.       What is the implication of the extended mind theory as far as the law is concerned?

9.       What conclusion can be drawn from the paragraph beginning “The extended mind…” and the paragraph beginning “The courts…”?

10.   If the theory of the extended mind is carried through to its logical conclusion, we would have to agree that…

WRITING TASK

Write an argumentative essay in which you discuss to what extent you agree with the extended mind theory.

ARE YOU JUST INSIDE YOUR SKIN OR IS YOUR SMARTPHONE PART OF YOU? KEY AND TEACHERS’ NOTES

This cleverly written essay raises some novel questions concerning privacy and as such, is very thought provoking. It will be interesting to see what the young generation feels about the arguments put forward. A little help might be necessary with the writing task. This task can be easily done in class or as a self study exercise unlike some other tasks on the blog.

1.       The police used a corpse to break into someone’s digital afterlife

2.       Given the role they play in our lives, our devices deserve the same protections as our brains and bodies

3.       They augment and extend our minds by increasing our cognitive power and freeing up internal resources

4.       Because now the private realm of thought coincides with activity in the brain

5.       We are essentially cyborgs

6.       Push the boundaries of mental privacy outwards to give our cyborg anatomy the same protections as our brains

7.       Our digital devices should be handled as remains

8.       If cognition encompasses devices then arguably they should be subject to the same prohibitions

9.       The concept of personal rights and freedoms that guides our legal institutions is outdated.

10.   Even simple technologies such as pens and pencils would merit recognition and protection as part of the essential toolkit of the mind.