Technoetics is a
neologism
A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
introduced by
Roy Ascott
Roy Ascott FRSA (born 26 October 1934) is a British artist, who works with cybernetics and telematics on an art he calls technoetic by focusing on the impact of digital and telecommunications networks on consciousness. Since the 1960s, Ascott ...
, who coined the term from ''
techne
In philosophy, techne (; , ) is a term that refers to making or doing, which in turn is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "Teks-" meaning "to weave," also "to fabricate". As an activity, ''technē'' is concrete, variable, and context-depe ...
'' and ''
noetic theory
In philosophy, noetics is a purposed branch of metaphysics concerned with the study of mind as well as intellect. There is also a reference to the science of noetics, which covers the field of thinking and knowing, thought and knowledge, as well ...
'', to refer to the emergent field of technology and consciousness research.
Definitions
The Technoetic relates to that which concerns the technology of consciousness. Such technology may be
telematic
Telematics is an interdisciplinary field encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies (road transport, road safety, etc.), electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), and computer science (multimedia ...
, digital, genetic, vegetal, moist, or linguistic. The emergence of Technoetics can be juxtaposed with a number of other innovative interdisciplinary areas of scholarship which have surfaced in recent years including:
technoscience
In common usage, technoscience refers to the entire long-standing global human activity of technology combined with the relatively recent scientific method that occurred primarily in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. Technoscience is the ...
,
technoethics
The ethics of technology is a sub-field of ethics addressing the ethical questions specific to the Technology Age, the transitional shift in society wherein personal computers and subsequent devices provide for the quick and easy transfer of info ...
,
viractuality
Joseph Nechvatal (born January 15, 1951) is an American post-conceptual digital artist and art theoretician who creates computer-assisted paintings and computer animations, often using custom-created computer viruses.
Life and work
Joseph ...
, and
technocriticism
Technocriticism is a branch of critical theory devoted to the study of technological change.
Technocriticism treats technological transformation as historically specific changes in personal and social practices of research, invention, regulation ...
.
Technoetics is a convergent field of practice that seeks to explore consciousness
Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...
and connectivity through digital, telematic, chemical or spiritual means; embracing both interactive and psychoactive technologies and the creative use of moist-media. -Roy Ascott, ''Technoetic Art Intellect Books 2003''
History of technoetics
Technoetics is a syncretic research area linked to the
transdisciplinary
Transdisciplinarity connotes a research strategy that crosses many disciplinary boundaries to create a holistic approach. It applies to research efforts focused on problems that cross the boundaries of two or more disciplines, such as research o ...
methodology between art and science.
[Ascott, R. (2003). ''Telematic Embrace: visionary theories of art, technology and consciousness''. (Edward A. Shanken, ed.) Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 380-381] This is rooted in the research of Roy Ascott and his
Planetary Collegium
The Planetary Collegium (a.k.a. CAiiA / Centre for Advanced Inquiry in Integrative Arts) is an international transcultural and transdisciplinary new media art educational research platform that promotes on the doctorate level the integration of a ...
; including its CAiiA-Hub, Trento-Node (Italy), Lucerne-Node (Switzerland), and DeTao-Node (Shanghai, China) research communities.
The term appeared for the first time in 1997 in the Ascott paper: "The Technoetic Aesthetic: Art and the Matter of Consciousness". In: R. Ascott (ed) ''Consciousness Reframed: art and consciousness in the post-biological era: 1st International CAiiA Research Conference Proceedings'' published by University of Wales College, Newport. Since 2014, the field and research area of Technoetics is being taught in the
Shanghai Institute of Visual Art
Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (SIVA) (上海视觉艺术学院) is a public university in Songjiang District of Shanghai, China.
SIVA was established in September 2005 with the approval of the Ministry of Education. The school was founded a ...
. The Technoetic arts undergraduate course was created by
Roy Ascott
Roy Ascott FRSA (born 26 October 1934) is a British artist, who works with cybernetics and telematics on an art he calls technoetic by focusing on the impact of digital and telecommunications networks on consciousness. Since the 1960s, Ascott ...
and is provided by th
Roy Ascott Technoetic Arts Studioand the Detao Masters Academy at the
Shanghai Institute of Visual Art
Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (SIVA) (上海视觉艺术学院) is a public university in Songjiang District of Shanghai, China.
SIVA was established in September 2005 with the approval of the Ministry of Education. The school was founded a ...
.
Footnotes
{{reflist
References
*Ascott, R. (2003). Quando an onça se deita com a ovelha: a arte com mídias úmidas e a cultura pós-biológica. In: DOMINGUES, D. (ed). Arte e vida no século XXI. São Paulo: Editora UNESP. pp. 273–284
*Ascott, R. (2003). ''Telematic Embrace: visionary theories of art, technology and consciousness''. (Edward A. Shanken, ed.) Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 6, 376, 378, 380-381
*Monico, F. (2008). La Variazione Technoetica in "Le variazioni Grandi" Quaderno di Comunicazione 8. Roma: Meltemi.
Technology neologisms