Love and Sex in Digital World: Philosophy, Ethics and Theology

The course aims to cover the past, present, and future of cyber love and cybersex.

After the brief overlook on the main discussions in philosophy and ethics of love and sex, the course will follow to the very beginning of digital technologies and how do cyber love and cybersex have become possible. It will explore the nature of cyberspace and its specific features that create similarities and differences between online and offline romantic and sexual relationships. We will focus on them and, thus, discuss such questions as to whether virtual reality is perceived or imagined, or something in between, whether the touch is mediated or immediate sense in cyberspace, etc.

The course will also explore different moral views on cyber love and cybersex in the very beginning of the use of digital technologies and how they have changed by today. It will focus on different moral dilemmas and concrete cases to understand how we are building in real-time the contemporary ethics of digital technologies.It will also discuss how do cyber love and cybersex have influenced love and sex generally and what are the future trends. In the course, we also discuss how philosophers, ethicists, and theologians could possibly influence the development of digital technologies and shape them.Therefore, the preliminary program includes these topics that will be covered during one full study week at the beginning of August (1-5 of August):

• philosophy of love and sex: a short introduction into the history of research and how does cyber love and cybersex challenge the existing definitions;
• philosophy of technology: the nature of cyber space, its ontology and phenomenology and, specifically, how does cyberspace make possible and influence relationships online;
• theology of love and sex: a short introduction into the history of religious views on love and sex and contemporary discussions of cyber love and cybersex in the main religions;
• ethics of cyber love and cybersex: online cheating, dating apps, parasocial relationships, online sex work, and cyber rape;
• possible future relationships with technologies:love and sex with robots.

The course presupposes the short preliminary readings that will be sent closer to the dates of the school, as well as the active participation in the seminars. The course is built around student interactions and discussions. We will also have a cultural program altogether that includes watching movies related to the topic, playing games, etc.

The students can participate in cultural programme events in the evenings.