Zachary Biondi

I’m interested in history of philosophy, ethics, and technology.

I have two main history projects. The first is about connections between Immanuel Kant’s theoretical and practical philosophy. The research has grown into interests in Schopenhauer and Spinoza. The second project is in Ancient Philosophy, especially the early Stoics. I am interested in the Stoic view of politics. I hope to use this project to challenge popular misconceptions of Stoicism, many of which are premised on the view that a proper Stoic retreats inward and, to safeguard his individual wellbeing, becomes less invested in justice and the happiness of others. While some Stoic moral exercises are phrased in this way, I argue that such a picture cannot be further from the true Stoic vision. 

I also think (and worry) about technology—the internet and AI in particular. My thinking on technology is informed by two related approaches. The first is a return to the environmental roots of the Philosophy of Technology. I believe moral holism, like Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic, can aid us in making wise creative decisions. Second, I explore the philosophical basis for Luddism. Luddism is the affirmation that technology should serve human wellbeing, the judgment that many dominant technologies fail to meet this standard, and the effort to reject these technologies. I am completing a book called Framework for Luddism. I am also a founding member of the Illinois Luddite Society.