Author Description

For most of human history, the world was a magical and enchanted place ruled by forces beyond our comprehension. The rise of science and Descartes' division of the mind from the world made materialism our dominant paradigm, in the process asking whether our own consciousness, i.e., souls, might be illusions. Now, the inexorable rise of technology, with artificial intelligences surpassing our understanding and control, and the spread of digital metaphors for self-understanding, the central questions of existence (identity, knowledge, the very nature and purpose of life itself) urgently require rethinking. Meghan OGieblyn approaches this challenge with philosophical rigor, intellectual range, essayistic verve, refreshing originality, and a wry sense of contradiction. She draws deeply and sometimes humorously on her own personal experience as a former religious believer still haunted by matters of faith, and serves as the best possible guide to navigating the territory we are all entering.