Christopher Watkin

Thanks, Andrew! Yes, Sherry Turkle is strong on AI as companionship, especially for the elderly.
Let's play devil's advocate: what's wrong with ai companionship? How is it different to pet companionship or even being very fond of a beloved object/item? Or falling in love with our fantasy of someone?

The Artificial Insights Podcast: How AI is Changing the Future of Work & Business AI is a transformative technology that will define our generation. Learn how AI is changing the future of work and business straight from leaders and founder...

Next week I'll be talking on the Artificial Insights podcast, on the ethics of AI.
What points do you think I should make?
What is the AI ethics debate missing?
What are the currently under-discussed or underappreciated aspects of AI ethics?
manary.haus/podcast/

YouTube video by Christopher Watkin Conversation Practice Based On Any Article: Free GPTs for French, German, Spanish & Italian

AI is no panacea in language learning, but for self-paced, personalised speaking practice, it can be super-useful.
I’ve built 4 free GPTs for French, German, Spanish & Italian: upload any article/novel, have a conversation, get personalised language + content feedback
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9f...

"AI is forcing us to ask fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of work. What’s the point of a college degree? ... I welcome these questions. We should have been asking them a long time ago, and now AI is forcing them on us all at once. Better late than never."

YouTube video by Christopher Watkin Jean Luc Nancy and the Deconstruction of Christianity: A conversation with Ashok Collins

In this new video I interview Dr Ashok Collins about his forthcoming monograph "Jean-Luc Nancy and the Deconstruction of Christianity" in the Edinburgh University Press @edinburghup.bsky.social 'Crosscurrents' series.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYwB...

Armitage Lecture 2025 The Armitage Lecture series was established in 2005 aiming to encourage thinking on matters to do with Anglican schooling.

In June I had the honour of delivering the annual Isaac Armitage Lecture at the Shore School, Sydney: "Custodians of the Common Good: Christian Education in a Post-Christian World"
The video is now available: www.shore.nsw.edu.au/about/news/t...

The publication process for "The State of Nature and the Shaping of Modernity" grinds on.
Here is the proof (in both senses).

성경적 비판 이론 | 크리스토퍼 왓킨 | IVP- ... ★ 2024 「크리스채너티 투데이」 올해의 책 ★ ★ 2023 호주 올해의 기독교 책 ★ -강영안, 손화철, 송용원, 신국원, 이정규, 케빈 밴후저, 마이클 호튼 외 추천! 낯선 사람이 당신의 집에 들어와 마음대로 실내 장식을 하고, 당신이 입을 옷을 고르고, 당신 자녀들의 학교를 결정하고, 허락 없이 당신의 차를 몬다고 생각해 보자. 잠깐만 생각해 보...

A Korean translation of Biblical Critical Theory is now available
The tube map has become a series of interlocking circles
Huge thanks to Kang Young-an, Son Hwa-chul, Song Yong-won, Shin Kook-won & Lee Jung-kyu for endorsements
@ivpacademic.bsky.social
ebook-product.kyobobook.co.kr/dig/epd/eboo...

I'm responding to copyediting queries for the state of nature book today. It's pedants' corner, and I'm loving it. Here's sthg I didn't know: A word or phrase preceded by so-called need not be enclosed in quotation marks as the expression itself indicates irony or doubt--CMS 7.59

YouTube video by Social Contract Research Network David McCourt SCRN seminar

New Social Contract Research Network Seminar:

David M McCourt, "Standing up to Beijing"

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/35py...
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMiM...

Upcoming Social Contract Research Network Zoom seminar:
Prof Douglas Guilfoyle @djag2.bsky.social UNSW
"The Oceans as a Commons: everyone’s, no-one’s, or a public good?"
Tu 29 April: 8pm Melbourne 11am London; 6am NYC
Register: monash.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
More info: www.monash.edu/arts/languag...

There's a new special issue of the Parrhesia journal, dedicated to the work of Michel Serres:

Full open access PDF: parrhesiajournal.org/wp-content/u...

TOC 👇

The State of Nature and the Shaping of Modernity Cambridge Core - Religion: General Interest - The State of Nature and the Shaping of Modernity

As it continues the slow ascent of Mount Publication, "The State of Nature and the Shaping of Modernity" now has a webpage: www.cambridge.org/core/books/s...

According to the webpage, the publication date is December 2025.

And here's me reading the Introduction: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciw6...

Upcoming Social Contract Research Network seminar:

"Standing Up to Beijing and the Common Good", with David M. McCourt

Tuesday 15 April , 8pm Melbourne; 2pm Abu Dhabi; 11am London; 6am New York City.

Registration:
monash.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Details:
www.monash.edu/arts/languag...

YouTube video by Social Contract Research Network Thomas Simpson, Cultures of Trust

New Social Contract Research Network seminar recording:

Thomas Simpson, "Cultures of Trust"

YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlyh...
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/episode/2b4U...

YouTube video by Social Contract Research Network Amy Chandran, Creating the Commonwealth

🚨New Social Contract Research Seminar video and podcast:

Amy Chandran, "Creating the Commonwealth: Power, Projection and Religion in Hobbes’s Leviathan"

Apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1Bu1...
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONem...

Reminder: Social Contract Research Network Zoom seminar this coming Tuesday.

Tom Simpson, "Cultures of Trust"

Tuesday 8 April. Melbourne 8pm; London 11am; New York City 6am.

Free registration: monash.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

More info: www.monash.edu/arts/languag...

"The State of Nature and the Shaping of Modernity" is one step closer to coming out: it now has a cover design.
Expected publication date, some time late in 2025.
If you'd like to know more, here's a reading of the Introduction: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciw6...

YouTube video by Christopher Watkin Jordan Peterson & Tim Keller: Two Visions of identity and meaning

New Video: "Jordan Peterson & Tim Keller on Jacob's Ladder: Two Visions of Identity and Meaning"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLXg...

In just over 24 hours' time: free Zoom seminar.
Amy Chandran on Power, Projection and Religion in Hobbes's Leviathan.
Tuesday 25 March, 9am Melbourne time.
Monday 24 March, 6pm Florida, 10pm London.
Register: monash.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Upcoming SCRN Zoom seminar!
David M. McCourt, @ucdavis.bsky.social

"Standing Up to Beijing and the Common Good"

Tuesday 15 April, 8pm Melbourne time | 2pm Abu Dhabi | 11am London | 6am New York City

Register: monash.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
More info:
monash.edu/arts/languag...

Thanks, Gray! Fancy seeing you on the blue side of the divide ;) Glen is at @glenscrivener.bsky.social

YouTube video by Christopher Watkin Automated attendance tracker for university units with Google Sheets

New Video 📺
Automated attendance tracker for university lecturers
🔹 Auto-generates Google Forms & QR codes
🔹 Up to 100 sessions/500 students
🔹 Instantly updates attendance records
🔹 Live dashboard with smart alerts
Watch the full demo 🎥👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBcM...
#EdTech

YouTube video by Christopher Watkin Jordan Peterson, Russell Brand, and the modern quest for the unified self

New video
"Jordan Peterson, Russell Brand, and the modern quest for the unified self"
via Descartes, Montaigne, Augustine, the Bible, Charles Taylor and Michael Hanby.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7sp...

Upcoming SCRN Zoom seminar!

Tom Simpson, @wadhamoxford
"Cultures of Trust" Tuesday 8 April 2025, 8pm Melbourne time
Registration:
monash.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
More info:
www.monash.edu/arts/languag...

Register now for the next SCRN Zoom seminar!

@amy_chandran, "Of Creating the Commonwealth: Power, Projection and Religion in Hobbes’s Leviathan"

Tuesday 25 March 2025, 9am Melbourne time

Rego: monash.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

YouTube video by Christopher Watkin Common sense, its history and ideology. #2: Descartes and the Three Paradoxes of Common Sense

The second "common sense" video has just been published: Descartes and the Three Paradoxes of Common Sense.
I'm trying to show how common sense functions ideologically, through a detailed reading of one paragraph of Descartes' "Discourse on the Method".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGsz...

Here's the YouTube version of the first episode of the new video series on the history and ideology of common sense: Aristotle to Descartes via Donald Trump, Elon Mush, Kamala Harris, Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farrage, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_q...

Common Sense 1--Origins In this first in a new series of videos I trace the history and ideology of the idea of common sense. This first video begins the story with discussions of Aristotle, Aquinas a... TikTok video by Dr Chris Watkin

I've just finished the first "common sense" video, tracing its origins and ideology from Aristotle to Descartes, via Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Kamala Harris, Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farrage and Anthony Albanese.
Tiktok below. YouTube to follow shortly
www.tiktok.com/@drchriswatk...

As part of my common good project I'm preparing a video on the subject of "common sense": its history, ideology and contemporary uses across the political spectrum and throughout society.
If anyone has any interesting examples of the term, I'd love to hear about them.
E.g: