Why do technological promises remain so compelling? Artificial intelligence, digital platforms and algorithmic systems continue to attract extraordinary levels of attention, investment and hope. Their transformative promise persists despite visible shortcomings, recurring disappointments and mounting social and environmental concerns.
Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis, Ciano Aydin offers a new way of understanding this enduring appeal. Shifting attention from behavior to desire and from power to receptivity, he reveals the existential dimensions of our investment in algorithmic environments. Using Tinder as a paradigmatic case, the book shows how these environments increasingly organize desire itself by offering recognition, orientation, certainty and the fantasy of wholeness.
But algorithmic environments are not merely sites of illusion. The same systems that sustain fantasies of self-knowledge and completion can also lay bare the structure of desire itself. Engineering Desire offers a distinctive framework for understanding both the risks and possibilities of contemporary technological life, rethinking singular self-formation as a possibility within technological mediation.
- 119 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Half Title page
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Technological Environments and the Formation of Desire
- 3 A Lacanian Account of Desire
- 4 Algorithmic Environments and the Displacement of the Symbolic
- 5 Technological Promises and Clinical Structures
- 6 Designing for Singularity
- 7 Epilogue: The Promise of Wholeness
- Bibliography
- Index
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Engineering Desire by Ciano Aydin in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Critical Theory. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.