The Sacred, Chance, and the Machine

Guided by two presentations and one respondent, this half-day colloquium for faculty and students will explore the mechanistic dimensions of Girard's theory of violence and the sacred--the group in effervescence--as a God-making machine, its corruption as in a distorting mirror in the form of mass shootings, and the role of chance in these self-organizing or autopoietic systems.

Presentations:

• "Terrorism, Mass Murders, and the Sacred," by Jean-Pierre Dupuy (Stanford),  
• "Satanas ex machina. Chance as a value for artificial intelligence," Alexei Grinbaum (Université Paris-Saclay)

Response by Katherine Dee.

Discussion moderated by Luke Burgis (Catholic University of America) and Nathan Pinkoski (Zephyr Institute).

PAPERS

Papers will be released to registered participants.

SCHEDULE, SUNDAY NOV. 6th

The Westin Palo Alto

1230-1PM: Lunch

1-230PM: Prof. Dupuy presents, followed by discussion

245PM-415PM: Prof. Grinbaum presents, followed by discussion

430-520PM: Synthesis and Summary

6PM: Drinks and Dinner 

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Luke Burgis is the Director of Programs & Projects at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America. 

Katherine Dee is a journalist and internet historian. Her work covers digital communities spanning from Usenet to TikTok.

Jean-Pierre Dupuy is Professor Emeritus of Social and Political Philosophy, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, andProfessor at Stanford University in the Science-Technology-and Society (STS) program and in the Political Science department (by courtesy).

Alexei Grinbaum, a quantum physicist and a philosopher, is professor at Université Paris-Saclay and research director at CEA institute (Paris).

Nathan Pinkoski is research fellow and director of academic programs at the Zephyr Institute.

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This event has been made possible by a generous grant from the Apgar Foundation and is co-sponsored by the Stanford Civics Initiative.