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Philosophy Political

Prometheus Wired

The Hope for Democracy in the Age of Network Technology

by (author) Darin Barney

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Nov 2011
Category
Political, Communication Studies, Telecommunications
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780774842167
    Publish Date
    Nov 2011
    List Price
    $99.00
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774807968
    Publish Date
    May 2000
    List Price
    $39.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774807975
    Publish Date
    May 2001
    List Price
    $26.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

In Prometheus Wired, Darin Barney debunks claims that a networked society will provide the infrastructure for a political revolution and shows that the resources we need for understanding and making sound judgments about this new technology are surprisingly close at hand. By looking to thinkers who grappled with the relationship of society and technology, such as Plato, Aristotle, Marx, and Heidegger, Barney critically examines such assertions about the character of digital networks.

About the author

Awards

  • Short-listed, Harold Adams Innis Prize, Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Winner, Outstanding Book in Political Theory, Choice Magazine
  • Winner, Communications Politcy Research Award, Donald McGannon Communication Research Center

Contributor Notes

Darin Barney teaches in the Department of Communication at the University of Ottawa.

Editorial Reviews

The book presents an originality that is refreshing. Few authors have analysed information technology from the “meta-perspective” of Barney. While reading the book I spontaneously felt “this is a book that concerns everyone.” Ideally, the text should be recommended to all students involved in economic, technical and philosophical disciplines. Prometheus Wired is superbly written and thought provoking.

Telecommunications Policy

This is a welcome and provocative addition to the growing literature on the politics of the Internet. In addition to its rich intellectual texture and mother-lode of information about computer hard- and software, it is a quick read because the author has a sharpe tongue and makes excellent points.

American Political Science Review