In this wide-ranging discussion from May 2022, I talked to University of Paris professor Justin E.H. Smith about his book The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is.
Suggested Reading
Smith, "It's All Over," https://thepointmag.com/examined-life/its-all-over/
"It's All Just Beginning," https://thepointmag.com/examined-life/its-all-just-beginning/
"The Internet Is Not as New as You Think," https://www.wired.com/story/the-internet-is-not-as-new-as-you-think/
"Working Arrangement," https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/family/working-arrangement2
“The Philistine War on AI Art,” https://unherd.com/2023/01/the-philistine-war-on-ai-art/
“The Philosophy of Count Dracula,” https://unherd.com/2022/09/the-philosophy-of-count-dracula/
"Meritocracy and the Future of Work," https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2021/04/meritocracy-and-future-work
If you subscribe to only one Substack, it should be Smith’s. So much bang for your content buck — and I’m hardly one to dole out compliments (consider the last time I offered unqualified praise for…well, anything).
This was one of the first pieces I read by Smith — who can be classed among the best intellectuals of this generation — and it’s well worth your time.
The Work of the Internet