As a philosopher, I am most interested in questions at the intersection of metaethics, epistemology, and moral psychology. Before becoming a professional philosopher, I studied business through an apprenticeship programme in Stuttgart, completed a degree in philosophy at UCL, and worked as a management consultant for two years, and then pursued a PhD in philosophy. I defended my dissertation, Survival of Defeat – Evolution, Moral Objectivity, and Undercutting, in June 2018 at Utrecht University. Since September 2018, I work at Delft University of Technology as a lecturer and postdoc in a project on value change and technology. From September 2019 onward, I will be a Niels Stensen Fellow for a year to research manipulation in online predictive technologies at the University of St. Gallen and Stanford University. www.michael-klenk.com
by Michael Klenk When academics and journalists criticise technology today, they often assume the perspective of a bitter and desperate lover: intimately acquainted with the failings of technology, and vocal in pointing them out, but also too invested and unable to perceive the world without it. That critical perspective on technology is important and increasingly…
by Michael Klenk The COVID-19 pandemic has instigated talk of the systemic- or societal relevance of institutions and professions. Quickly, attributions of systemic relevance have become a matter of distribution of resources. In Germany, for example, a union recently demanded extra financial support for systematically relevant professions. Whether your profession is deemed systemically relevant may…
by Michael Klenk Our society needs virologists. Heeding their advice is valuable and consequential. In the Coronavirus pandemic, German politicians listened to the virologists, and Germany is doing relatively well. Other political leaders have (too long) ignored the virologists, and their citizenry is paying a high price. Put another way; virologists appear to be systemically…
by Michael Klenk Manipulation often seems to involve a hidden influence. Manipulators are pushing the emotional buttons of their unsuspecting victims, exploiting their subconscious habits and leading them astray. That view of manipulation explains a lot of the current moral outrage about digital technology and the companies behind it. Digital technologies provide the unprecedented potential…
by Michael Klenk While some people voluntarily act out their private lives on the public stage, the vast majority tries to maintain some privacy – by drawing a firm distinction between their private and public lives. But at the same time, almost all of us are using connected technologies like mobile phones, wearable devices, social…
by Lisa Herzog, Stephan Jonas, Philipp Kellmeyer, Karola Kreitmair, Michael Klenk, Eva Kuhn, and Kai Spiekermann Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Google, often referred to as Big Tech, know more about you than your closest friends and family. They know who you are talking to and what you are talking about, what you are buying…
by Michael Klenk Moral psychology has shaken up moral philosophy in recent years (see, e.g., here and here). The upheaval is welcome. Understanding better how ethical judgements work should eventually lead to positive behaviour change. For example, we might hope for more altruism to solve collective action problems like climate change, and less in-group vs…
by Michael Klenk News of a whistleblower’s report recently ushered in the latest scandal surrounding Donald Trump’s US presidency. According to the whistleblower, Trump urged the Ukrainian president to investigate one of Trump’s personal political rivals, Joe Biden, after emphasising that, in the past, “the United States has been very, very good to Ukraine.” Efforts…
by Michael Klenk Someone else gets more quality time with your spouse, your kids, and your friends than you do. Like most people, you probably enjoy just about an hour, while your new rivals are taking a whopping 2 hours and 15 minutes each day. But save your jealousy. Your rivals are tremendously charming, and…
by Michael Klenk I live and work in two different cities; on the commute, I continuously ask my phone for advice: When’s the next train? Must I take the bus, or can I afford to walk and still make the day’s first meeting? I let my phone direct me to places to eat and things…