Raymond Aaron Younis

Education aims for many things, including the pursuit of knowledge and truth, the development of critical thinking and reflective practice, innovation and the cultivation of certain traits or dispositions, training and preparation for the workforce, the promotion of active, lifelong learning and personal, and inter-personal, development. However, understanding and pursuing authenticity, truth, knowledge, habits of excellence, success and wellbeing, amongst other things, in education is important, especially today, in the context of the rapid emergence of mass communication (especially information, misinformation and disinformation), and the global proliferation of virtual communities, virtual environments, and digital media. These decisive technological transformations highlight questions of authenticity, inclusion, participation, safety, privacy, security and access, among others, and deep concerns about the task of educators today. Further research on flourishing may help address important challenges in preparing students for a rapidly changing, and deeply challenging, digitalized world. This chapter focusses on significant developments, risks, threats, challenges and meaningful responses. It explores educational approaches informed by eudaimonian ethics which promote the full flourishing (and wellbeing) of young learners; it will be of benefit to all whose lives have been affected by the global convergence of education, communication, information technology, information systems and the digital age. It focusses on topics such as authentic (and inauthentic) relationships, digital addiction, (de-)humanized learning environments, virtues and vices online, ethics, innovative teaching approaches and the pursuit of flourishing.

Education aims for the pursuit of knowledge and truth, the development of critical thinking and reflective practice, innovation and the cultivation of certain traits or dispositions, training and preparation for the workforce, and the promotion of active learning and personal development, amongst other things. However, understanding and pursuing success in education is important, especially in the context of the rapid emergence of mass communication, and the global proliferation of virtual communities, virtual environments, and digital media. These decisive technological transformations also highlight questions of authenticity, inclusion, participation and access, and deep concerns about the task of educators today. Further research on flourishing may help address important challenges in preparing students for a rapidly changing, digitalized world. "Promoting Flourishing, Authentic Relationships, and Growth in Learners in the Digital Age" examines significant developments, risks, threats and challenges. It explores timely solutions that promote the full flourishing of young learners, which will be of benefit to all whose lives have been affected by the convergence of education, information, communication, technology and the digital age. It focusses on topics such as digital addiction, higher (and deeper) learning, virtues and vices, ethics, wellbeing, flourishing and non-traditional teaching methods. This book is an excellent resource for educators, administrators, policy makers, researchers, scholars and academics, among others.

The question of the limits of reason, not just within philosophy but also in the modern sciences, is arguably more important than ever given numerousrecent commentaries on “life”, “reality”, meaning, purpose, pointlessness and so on, emanating not from philosophers or metaphysicians, but rather from physicists and biologists such as Steven Weinberg and Richard Dawkins. It will be argued that such commentaries concerning the “pointlessness” of the universe, or the purpose of “life’, and other such things, are flawed and unconvincing, not least because they seem to overlook or forget a number of well known and significant philosophical contributions on the question of limits, particularly by Kant, but also by Hume, Russell and Sir A J Ayer.

There can be little doubt that informatics and communication technologies have transformed, and some would say rendered problematic, not just such ways of thinking about relations and authenticity between human subjects, but also the very question of the possibility of such relations, especially given the global phenomenon of simulation, social media, avatars, and technologically mediated communication at almost every point of our personal, interpersonal and professional relationships in the digital age. The following questions will be explored: What are the changes to and effects of ICTs on our communicative relations in the 21st century? Is it still possible to speak of authentic interpersonal encounters in the light of the emergence of informatics and communication technologies and their proliferation in the digital age, in the paths opened up by thinkers like Buber and Heidegger (for example, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2002A, 2002B, 1998, 1984, 1982, 1976A, 1976B, 1973, 1971, 1967, 1966, 1955, among many others)? And what should one do, given the acceleration and intensification of the advent of technologism in our time?