The Future of the Self: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Personhood and Identity in the Digital Age

Review

"Thanks to its critical, balanced perspective and its thoroughness, this accessible yet scholarly volume on the future of the self is valuable to specialists and generalists alike." ― Technical Communications

Product Description

We live in the digital age where our sense of self and identity has moved beyond the body to encompass hardware and software. Cyborgs, online representations in social media, avatars, and virtual reality extend our notion of what it means to be human. This book looks at the progression of self from the biological to the technological using a multidisciplinary approach. It examines the notion of personhood from philosophical, psychological, neuroscience, robotics, and artificial intelligence perspectives, showing how the interface between bodies, brains, and technology can give rise to new forms of human identity. Jay Friedenberg presents the content in an organized and easy-to-understand fashion to facilitate learning. A gifted researcher, author, and classroom teacher, he is one of the most influential voices in the field of artificial psychology.

From the Inside Flap

"This book gives fascinating and refreshing insight into the digital self from many interesting and varied perspectives. Drawing on philosophical and psychological approaches to understanding the self, Jay Friedenberg evaluates the impacts of technology on the self and on identity. The book will appeal to a wide audience and many levels of students in a variety of courses including media studies, psychology, and cyberpsychology."&;Jacqui Taylor-Jackson, Professor of Cyberpsychology, Western Sydney University

"By exploring how people express themselves and experience each other online, Friedenberg provides a comprehensive framework for understanding one of the most elusive concepts in the history of philosophy and the history of psychology: the human self. A must-read for anyone interested in how the digital age shapes personal identity."&;John Suler, author of Psychology of the Digital Age

From the Back Cover

"This book gives fascinating and refreshing insight into the digital self from many interesting and varied perspectives. Drawing on philosophical and psychological approaches to understanding the self, Jay Friedenberg evaluates the impacts of technology on the self and on identity. The book will appeal to a wide audience and many levels of students in a variety of courses including media studies, psychology, and cyberpsychology."—Jacqui Taylor-Jackson, Professor of Cyberpsychology, Western Sydney University

"By exploring how people express themselves and experience each other online, Friedenberg provides a comprehensive framework for understanding one of the most elusive concepts in the history of philosophy and the history of psychology: the human self. A must-read for anyone interested in how the digital age shapes personal identity."—John Suler, author of Psychology of the Digital Age

About the Author

Jay Friedenberg is Professor of Psychology at Manhattan College. He has published several textbooks on topics in cognitive science, perception, and artificial intelligence and is a researcher in the field of empirical aesthetics.