RESEARCH DESCRIPTION
The Observatory on Philosophy and the Digital was established as a natural evolution of the educational and research activities connected to the Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Digital Transformation and the Master’s Degree in Philosophy of the Digital and Artificial Intelligence.
The Observatory aims to become a stable center for monitoring, analysis, and research on the phenomenon of the digital in all its facets, integrating philosophical, technological, and interdisciplinary expertise. Its goal is to coordinate and enhance studies, publications, working groups, and ongoing initiatives, fostering dialogue between epistemological, gnoseological, aesthetic, ethical, and theoretical–computational approaches.
Key activities include creating an updated map of authors, research centers, and projects at national and international levels, establishing a repository and a curated bibliography on the philosophy of the digital, organizing seminars, workshops, and study days, as well as promoting participation in competitive projects and interdisciplinary collaborations.
The Observatory also functions as an advanced educational environment: it supervises bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses, manages research fellowships, supports scientific production, and develops public outreach tools. Through dialogue with schools, cultural institutions, governmental bodies, and local enterprises, it strengthens the Third Mission and promotes critical thinking capable of interpreting the epistemological, social, and ethical impact of contemporary digital transformation.
Technological Tools and Methods
- Digital database for mapping authors, research centers, and publications
- Continuously updated archive and curated bibliography
- Interdisciplinary research platform (humanities, computer science, mathematics, systems theory)
- Tools for data visualization and linked data
- Digital content production: podcasts, newsletters, video interviews
- Seminari, workshop, eventi (come il Festival Mimesis) e attività di disseminazione pubblica
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT
- Bachelor’s thesis project: analyze a specific aspect of the philosophy of the digital (for example, the aesthetics of digital images, algorithmic ethics, concepts of the virtual and representation) through the collection of sources, preliminary mapping of relevant authors, and the creation of thematic records useful for the Observatory’s database.
- Progetto di laurea magistrale: approfondire un tema filosofico–teorico legato al digitale (epistemologia dell’AI, ontologia del virtuale, teorie dell’immagine contemporanea), integrando strumenti interdisciplinari come modelli computazionali di riferimento, studi sulla complessità, media studies o analisi concettuali avanzate; contribuire allo sviluppo ragionato dell’archivio digitale dell’Osservatorio.
- Master’s thesis project: explore a philosophical–theoretical topic related to the digital (AI epistemology, ontology of the virtual, contemporary theories of the image), integrating interdisciplinary tools such as computational reference models, complexity studies, media studies, or advanced conceptual analyses; contribute to the structured development of the Observatory’s digital archive.
- PhD research project: conduct advanced research on the relationship between philosophy and digital technologies (for example, AI and philosophical categories, image theory and digital media, automation and subjectivity), while contributing to the creation of analytical tools, theoretical models, and innovative archival structures; the goal is to develop a robust theoretical framework and a conceptual platform usable by the entire Observatory for future interdisciplinary activities.
