Paying Attention to Planetary Conditions of Livelihood
The concept of an ethics of possibility is inspired by Arjun Appadurai’s work in Future as Cultural Fact (2013). In the final chapter of his book, Appadurai proposes an ethics of possibility, which focuses on ethical life as it unfolds in the everyday hopes and struggles of ordinary people. This approach contrasts with an ethics of probability, which is a power-conserving, risk-mitigation framework that dominates critical fields such as AI ethics. An ethics of possibility, by contrast, is more attuned to the fluid, messy, and often unpredictable dynamics of human experience and social change. In our exploration, we will investigate what such an ethics entails, what it can offer, and what empirical research methods could help inform its development.
At the latter point, we draw on Amade M’charek’s notion of “the Art of Paying Attention” (2015), which provides a lens through which we can consider how paying attention shapes ethical practices. We ask how “paying attention” can be understood and enacted, and under which conditions it should be regarded as a normative act of care—or neglect. In this context, we will also incorporate the active engagement of the senses, which are positioned as essential to the very act of paying attention. This approach comes with the invitation for participants to engage with their own research perspectives and experiences, while experimenting with the act of "doing attention." Through this, we aim to focus on our often-overlooked senses as vital tools for empirical insight.
We ask how “paying attention” can be understood and enacted, and under which conditions it should be regarded as a normative act of care—or neglect. In this context, we will also incorporate the active engagement of the senses, which are positioned as essential to the very act of paying attention. This approach comes with the invitation for participants to engage with their own research perspectives and experiences, while experimenting with the act of "doing attention." Through this, we aim to focus on our often-overlooked senses as vital tools for empirical insight.
Interested in joining the workshop? Register by filling out the form, submitting a short (100–200 words) motivational statement connecting your research to concepts of possibility and attention. Deadline for applications is February 14, 2025. Acceptance will be confirmed on February 18.
We also warmly invite workshop participants to attend a Public Event at Spui25, on 3 March 2025, 20.00-22.00, where Arjun Appadurai and Amade M’charek will give presentations of their work on this topic, followed by commentaries by the IAS Empirical Ethics team and discussion with the general audience.
Arjun Appadurai is an Indian-born cultural theorist and anthropologist from Mumbai, is globally acclaimed for his work on globalization, modernity, and cultural imagination. Educated at Brandeis University and the University of Chicago, he has taught at top institutions like Yale and NYU. His influential book Modernity at Large introduced concepts like "ethnoscapes," reshaping globalization studies. In The Future as Cultural Fact, Appadurai explores how imagination, uncertainty, and risk shape global futures, emphasizing human agency in creating change. His work links culture, economics, and urban studies, offering tools to navigate an interconnected world. Appadurai’s vision continues to influence critical global debates.
Amade M'charek is professor of anthropology of science at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in the intersections of science, race, and identity. Her research focuses on the ways scientific practices, particularly genetics and forensic science, shape understandings of human diversity and social inequality. M'charek's work critically examines how concepts of race are enacted in scientific and societal contexts, emphasizing their dynamic and situational nature. A leading voice in Science and Technology Studies (STS), she has authored influential works exploring the politics of difference and the ethics of knowledge production. M'charek’s research bridges anthropology, genetics, and critical race studies.
Selin Gerlek is an assistant professor for philosophy of technology and politics at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on digital citizenship, transformative processes in human-technology relations, mediated cultural practices, empirical ethics & value change, as well as embodied and hermeneutic relations. The traditional lines of thought she follows include (Post-)Phenomenology, Philosophy of Technology, Science and Technology Studies (STS), Pragmatism, Practice Theory, Political Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, Gender Theories, and both vertical and horizontal ethics. At the University of Amsterdam, she is part of the Sector Plan theme Digital Citizenship, Scientifique Coordinator of the Research line Empirical Ethics at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), member of the Platform for the Ethics and Politics of Technology (PEPT), and teaches in the Capacity Group Philosophical Tradition in Context.
Paula Helm is an Assistant Professor specializing in Critical AI Studies and Empirical Ethics, with a background in Anthropology and Peace and Conflict Research. Her interdisciplinary work spans STS, Media Studies, and Technology Ethics. She co-leads the Empirical Ethics Research Group at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Studies and co-coordinates a Media Studies MA program on Cultural Data & AI, integrating Cultural Studies, AI Ethics, STS, and programming. Helm also leads a research project on Digital Transformation in the Amazon, merging indigenous and Western knowledge, featured in De Groene Amsterdammer and The Guardian. She serves on the UvA Ethics Committee, is affiliated with the HAVA Lab and Certain-AI Network, and supervises PhD research on AI ethics.