Satan

In this course

Satan appears in the course readings as a foil to the "banality of evil" thesis—the invocation of an older, operatic conception of evil's enormity that contemporary theory (following Arendt) deliberately rejects in favor of understanding how bureaucratic systems and computational logic normalize atrocity. This rhetorical move frames the readings' concern with how AI systems and automated processes can enact harm without dramatic intention or demonic agency, instead performing evil through the mundane logic of optimization and efficiency. The contrast illuminates how cybernetic and machine systems don't require supernatural malevolence but only indifference to encode violence into their operations.

Background

Satan, also known as the Devil, is an entity in Abrahamic religions who entices humans into sin or falsehood. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or 'evil inclination'. In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as a fallen angel or jinn who has rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons.

Mentioned in 1 reading