2023:Program/Submissions/Wikipedia, the Encyclopédie, and Digital Enlightenment - KDYBAJ

Title: Wikipedia, the Encyclopédie, and Digital Enlightenment

Speakers:

Jörg Noller

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Type: Lecture

Track: Education

Submission state: submitted

Duration: 30 minutes

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Presentation language: en

Abstract & description

Abstract

In my talk, I show how Wikipedia inherits central ideals of Diderot’s Encyclopédie and of the Enlightenment. In order to do so, I shall concentrate on Wikipedia’s order of knowledge and its hypertextual structure. Thereby, I shall refer to the notion of references in Diderot’s Encyclopédie, which constitute “the most important part of the encyclopaedic order”. I show how the traditional encyclopaedic order of knowledge is transformed by digital media in Wikipedia, and I discuss which new forms of knowledge order and enlightenment emerge through digital encyclopedias.

Description

In my talk, I show how Wikipedia inherits central ideals of Diderot’s Encyclopédie and of the Enlightenment. In order to do so, I shall concentrate on Wikipedia’s order of knowledge and its hypertextual structure. Thereby, I shall refer to the notion of references in Diderot’s Encyclopédie, which constitute “the most important part of the encyclopaedic order”. References – in today's terms “hyperlinks” – ensure that the individual items are not simply printed alphabetically in an arbitrary and isolated manner, but that they are placed in various relations with other terms. This makes it possible to understand the systematic position of contents and concepts in the whole system of knowledge. Diderot’s Encyclopédie puts it as follows: “The references of things illuminate the object, indicate its close connections with those that touch it directly and its distant connections with others that might be thought to be isolated from it. They remind us of common concepts and analogous principles. They reinforce the inferences. They link the branch to the trunk and give to the whole that unity which is so conducive to the assertion of truth and conviction.” However, references also allow concepts to be brought into oppositional relations in order to gain further meaning through contrast. This is the subversive and revolutionary epistemic function of the Encyclopédia, for those references “bring the concepts into opposition, they make the principles contrast; secretly they attack ridiculous opinions which one would not dare openly to chide, shake them, overthrow them”. The references set the terms in motion and initiate a process of reflection on the part of the subject who uses the Encyclopédie. Contrastive references have the function of "confirming and rejecting, stirring up and reconciling". Thus, the Encyclopédie has a performative function, which consists of "changing the generally customary form of thinking" and promote the enlightenment. I show how the traditional encyclopaedic order of knowledge is transformed by digital media in Wikipedia, and I discuss which new forms of knowledge order and enlightenment emerge through digital encyclopedias.

Further details

Qn. How does your session relate to the event themes: Diversity, Collaboration Future?

My session relates to the topic of collaboration and future insofar as it discusses the question of digital enlightenment and digital knowledge in terms of virtual collaborative encyclopedias.

Qn. What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Some experience will be needed

Qn. What is the most appropriate format for this session?

Onsite in Singapore
Remote online participation, livestreamed
Remote from a satellite event
Hybrid with some participants in Singapore and others dialing in remotely
Pre-recorded and available on demand