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James C. Scott

anthropologist · 3 mentions across 1 reading

In this course

James C. Scott is an anthropologist and political theorist whose work critiques how state institutions and governing elites impose rationalized, simplified systems that destroy local knowledge and autonomous self-governance. In this course, his analysis of progress-driven social engineering—the top-down imposition of order that erases complexity—becomes crucial for understanding how similar logics operate in AI systems and algorithmic governance, where technical optimization often overrides situated, embodied knowledge and human agency.

Mentioned in 1 reading

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Pandaemonium Architecture 6.0 — ATEK-639/439 — Fall 2025