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Announcing Law & Technology Theory Online Symposium

By Jack M. Balkin

Two years ago I was part of an experimental "online conference" that combined elements of a blog and symposium. The organizers wanted to develop a "new kind of academic exchange" that would focus contributors from different continents on a common topic while avoiding the carbon footprint of conference travel. "Law & Technology Theory" was born, providing a forum for "exploring and rationalizing the regulation of technology."

Now we're back, focusing on the effects of technology on human autonomy. Arthur Cockfield, who's done fascinating work integrating the philosophy of technology into legal scholarship, introduces the topic in this way:

Do machines control us or do we control machines? Do we live in a Matrix-like environment oblivious to the fact that technologies structure our individual lives as well as the societies in which we live? Or are we in charge of these technologies?

How one thinks about the relationship between individual autonomy (sometimes referred to as individual willpower or human agency) and technology can influence the way legal thinkers develop policy at the intersection of law and technology. In fact, views on this topic can fundamentally alter legal analysis in many circumstances.

I'm concerned with performance-enhancing drugs, revising and updating some posts that first appeared on Concurring Opinions. Cockfield has concentrated on privacy, and other bloggers are promoting new theoretical perspectives on technology in general. I look forward to reading past and upcoming posts, and I invite Balkinization readers to join the conversation.

Full post as published by Balkinization on February 10, 2009 (boomark / email).