Whither the Human? Computing and Indigenous Knowledge Against the Inhuman Sciences

The “human” at the center of the humanities seems uncertain.

Advances in “big data” and “cultural analytics” chip away at established methods in the humanities. Meanwhile, decolonial and Indigenous studies remind us how exclusionary the humanism orienting the humanities really is.

Drawing on findings from Geoghegan’s recently published "Code: From Information Theory to French Theory" (Duke, 2023), this talk situates these critiques as part of a larger, century-long effort by progressive intellectuals to reform the humanities with knowledge from computing and Indigenous culture.

In particular, Geoghegan shows how movements such as “cybernetics” and “French theory” sought—with mixed results—to bring digital media and Indigenous knowledge into the ethical outlooks of the human sciences. That effort remains an enduring, but often overlooked, component in efforts to establish digital and decolonial humanities today.

Geoghegan's visit is co-sponsored by ASU's Center for Philosophical Technologies and Environmental Humanities Initiative, along with BRIDGES Sustainability Science Consortium and the Learning Planet Festival.