Sovereignty in Singularity: Aporias in Ethics and Aesthetics

While the notion of singularity has a foothold in science (Kurzweil) and philosophy (Nancy, Deleuze, Hardt), the tenets of this theory can be difficult to pin down into one philosophical discourse. This text focuses on how information technology is reaching critical mass, taking center stage in how we live our lives, and calls us to pull from ourselves an inner agency-our own sovereignty. Sovereignty, in this paradigm, is like a self-regulating transit-open when necessary, shielding when needed. It is not invasive (I can not invade you, you can not invade me), and exists without any external authority. But what will sovereignty in singularity look like (aesthetics and role models), and how can such a paradigm exist in an age where mediated information no longer seems credible, and ethical paradigms are not being implemented on the world wide web? The text, which looks at fine arts as a role model for communication, argues for the value of aesthetics as a complex lens to make sense of our world (online and offline) in our sovereignty. about the author: Gregory Bray, Ph. D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Media at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where he teaches such courses as Seminar in Digital Filmmaking, Milestones in Documentary, History of American Television and Writing for Digital Media. Many of his students have earned awards and accolades from work produced in his classes. He is an award winning documentary filmmaker whose work includes A Horse Connection, which earned a CINE Golden Eagle and was distributed by snag films. Dr. Bray's career took a major turn when he began studying with some of the world's most innovative thinkers and artists at the European Graduate School. This work, and future works are respectfully dedicated to his professors and colleagues who have inspired him to reach beyond his grasp. Gregory is married to artist Nadine May Lewis and they have two children, Eamon and Nora. They live in Ulster County, New York.