A Pixelated Paradigm

Abstract

Identity Technologies: Constructing the Self Online and Between Humanities and the Digital discuss a central issue in defining the “digital humanities”: to what extent are traditional humanistic concerns – pain, suffering, freedom, pleasure, happiness – taken into consideration in our increasingly abstract engagement with digital technologies? For some, this is a serious ethical issue that will always require the insights of the traditional humanities, while for others the “digital” needs to break free from antiquity. Along these lines, these texts diverge in tone and content: Identity Technologies leaves an impression of reluctant yet cautious optimism, while Between Humanities and the Digital is anchored in the “digital” world, focusing on digital success stories and calling for investment in digital infrastructure.