The Sophia Festival is an important tradition for the School of Philosophy at Fudan University. The title of our Sophia Festival is “Non- omnipotent Answer Machine“, this machine is a metaphor for philosophy. The theme of the 24th festival is dialogue with modern technology in a philosophical way and the examination and criticism of modern technology.

Professor Mitcham is a philosopher of engineering and technology, Professor Emeritus (Ee-MARE-uh-tus ) of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the Colorado School of Mines and Visiting International Professor of Philosophy of Technology at Renmin University of China.

This talk will offer some reflections on the difficulty of practicing philosophy in a world dominated by science, engineering, and technology – that is, in a techno scientific society that prioritizes scientific knowledge production, engineering construction, and technological power above all else.