CfP: TechSex: Exploring the Philosophical and Ethical Implications – Ghent University, May 9, 2023

TechSex. Exploring the Philosophical and Ethical Implications

 

May 9, 2023 – 14:00-17:00 (CET), Ghent University

 

Keynote by Prof. Lily Frank

Eindhoven University of Technology

 

Workshop Theme

 

Sexuality and technology are historically intertwined phenomena which raises questions about the nature of our sexuality, and our relation with sexual technologies. Our engagement with sex-oriented technology has been a matter of enhancing sexual appeal, sexual activity or pleasure or compensating for sexual partners. Technosexual objects, practices and procedures include, among others, biotechnology, drug manufacturing, medical interventions, sex toys, VR technologies, etc. AI Sexbots are the latest development in this wave of technosexualization.  According to Tanja Kubes (2019), they form the pinnacle of the materialization of ideas about gender and sexuality.

 

New sexual technologies have the potential to change the way we engage in sexual activity, potentially leading to novel forms of sexual expression, experimentation, sexual subjectivity and sexual identities. McArthur and Twist (2017), e.g., have argued that we are currently living in an age of ‘digisexuality’, and that many are becoming “digisexuals”, sexual beings whose primary sexual identity is intimately linked to the use of sexual technologies. Instead of being a technology that mediates between humans, the sextech involved itself becomes the intention and focus of the sexual activity, transforming it into a form of what can be called ‘techsex’.

 

All this calls for thorough but also nuanced reflection and evaluation. Most philosophical and ethical work on these topics has focused on questions relating to the proper use, the moral evaluation and the legal regulation of the sexual technologies involved. Questions are being raised about the impact on society and culture, on how all this might upset or reinforce existing gender-relations, on questions of privacy and autonomy, etc.

 

In this workshop, however, we want to move beyond this regulatory and evaluative scope and explore the implications of the technologization of sex and sexualization of technology for the philosophy of sexuality and sexual ethics more broadly. We want to explore new ways of philosophically and ethically thinking through the ways these new technologies (might) impact and transform our sexual lives, practices and subjectivities, and perhaps, human sexuality itself.

 

We invite papers that address the philosophical and ethical aspects of the SexTech-Techsex-Nexus on any of the following (the list is not exclusive) topics:

 

  • The nature of human sexuality
  • ‘Are we having TechSex now, or what?’ Does TechSex count as sexual activity?
  • Sexual reciprocity – can human sexual relationships ‘authentically’ be replicated by artificial entities?
  • Sexual embodiment
  • Sexual subjectivity
  • Sexual desire
  • The moral standing of sexual artefacts - do (AI) SexBots have moral standing?
  • Consent, rape and sexual artefacts
  • Sexual Intimacy & human sociability
  • Sexual relationships
  • Responsibility and care
  • Sexual autonomy and integrity
  • What ethical framework(s) for TechSex?
  • Is TechSex (inherently) dehumanizing?
  • Does SexTech (inherently) objectify?
  • …

 

Submission & Timeline

 

We welcome proposals for presentations of 20 minutes. Anonymized abstracts of no more than 200 words, accompanied by a separate document detailing the name(s) and affiliation(s) of the paper proposers, should be sent to Laurent Voet.

 

We value inclusiveness and diversity. We therefore encourage submissions from and including underrepresented groups in academia.

 

Deadline for submission of abstracts: Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Notification of acceptance: Wednesday, March 8, 2023

 

Attendance

 

Participation is open to all and free. Registration is required no later than May 1st via the workshop website: https://www.cevi-globalethics.ugent.be/TechSexWorkshop

 

Further Info

 

For any questions or concerns please contact the workshop organizers at the following email address laurent.voet@hotmail.com or check the Workshop website.

 

Workshop Organisers

 

Prof. Tom Claes, CEVI, Ghent University

Prof. Lode Lauwaert, Chair Ethics and AI, KU Leuven

Drs Laurent Voet, CEVI, Ghent University