«Politics and failures of the digital revolution» Talk with philosopher Fernando Savater
On 25 October, at LABA Valencia, the philosopher, writer and populariser Fernando Savater kicked off the series of talks that form a fundamental part of the module ‘Politics and failures of the digital revolution’, a key space in the training of final year students of the degree in Digital Media. This initiative seeks to encourage reflection on the challenges, successes and limitations brought about by the digital era, particularly from the perspective of Savater, whose work has addressed issues of ethics, politics and the nuances of the human condition in the contemporary world.
In this first talk, Savater delved into key concepts about the progress and evolution of digital society, exploring how these influence digital media. Guided by their teacher, Celia Cuenca, the students held a debate on progress, a recurring theme in Savater’s work that offers a profound framework for questioning the narratives of success and failure in the technological revolution.
Fernando Savater, born in San Sebastian in 1947, has been a professor of Philosophy and has combined his teaching work in the areas of Philosophy and Ethics in various universities with an outstanding career as an author of essays. His most influential works include Ética para Amador (1991), Política para Amador (1992), El contenido de la felicidad (1986) and El valor de educar (1997), which have had a notable impact both in Spain and Latin America.
His literary production has been translated into many languages, and Savater has received several honorary doctorates from universities in Spain, Europe and America, along with various distinctions. Among the thinkers who have most influenced his work are Montaigne, Spinoza, Voltaire, Cioran, Bertrand Russell and the philosophers of the Frankfurt School.
Savater has openly criticised Basque nationalism, opposing ideologies that attempt to reduce identity to an exclusive national belonging. For years, he was under death threat from ETA, which forced him to live under protection until the end of 2011.
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