I sentieri del desiderio nella società digitale. Tecnica, informazione e memoria nel solco di Bernard Stiegler

This research examines the pervasive influence of digital technologies on human life through the intersection of digital and desire. Specifically, I conceive digital society as a complex interplay between human beings, forms of communal life, and technological artifacts, interpreting this interaction through the immanent dynamics of desire. The study is grounded in Bernard Stiegler’s concept of “general organology” – the necessary and constitutive intertwining of psycho-anatomical organs, technical organs, and social organizations – introduced as an essential framework to understand the relationship between humanity and technology. From this theoretical perspective, which is heavily indebted to Stiegler’s thought while also seeking alternative pathways, I have outlined a progression through three key stages: 1. I explore the idea that humans and technology are intertwined elements that shape and redefine each other. This view emphasizes technology as a fundamental and constitutive component of human existence, not just a tool. This section begins with a reassessment of prevalent apocalyptic narratives about technology, highlighting that technology, especially digital technology, is an integral part of human processes. This foundation is crucial for later analyses of how digital technologies influence not only individual lives but also collective forms of organization. 2. I examine the transformative capacity of digital technologies to shape living environments. I first show how the rapid proliferation of ICTs has reshaped contemporary life. Next, I attempt to rethink information from an ontological perspective, drawing on theories by Simondon and Floridi. Finally, having established that digital technologies autonomously structure spaces and living environments, I conceptualize them, via Stiegler, as memory technologies. 3. I focus on desire, which Stiegler sees as intrinsically tied to the dynamic between humans and technology, showing a deep connection between desire, technology, and politics. In this view, digital platforms capture attention and channel desire toward standardized experiences, thus altering processes of self-formation as well as the collective and political space. Concluding, I offer speculative reflections on some of the more challenging aspects of Stiegler’s thought on desire, particularly by reinterpreting them through the concept of desire by Deleuze and Guattari to address the ethical and political challenges posed by the digital era and its impact on human desire. In summary, this research explores the complex relationships between digital technologies and desire, guided by Stiegler’s philosophy, and provides insights into the ethical and political challenges emerging in an increasingly digitalized world.