Critical Media Studies #98: The Re-enchanted World - Karl Knausgaard
Jul 25, 2025
The hosts dive into Karl Ove Knausgaard's reflections on the alienation caused by technology, contrasting superficial digital knowledge with genuine experiences. They explore how modernity impacts our perception of reality, using gardening as a metaphor for personal growth. The discussion also delves into the complex relationship between artificial intelligence and human consciousness, questioning whether technology enhances or threatens authentic experiences. Finally, they tackle barriers to creativity and innovation in a tech-driven world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Knowledge vs. Experience Divide
- The internet provides vast knowledge but lacks the richness of firsthand experience.
- We experience alienation as technology separates knowledge from embodied life.
Technology Empties the World
- Digital technology thins the world by replacing experience with image and information.
- Experience is unpredictable and unrepeatable, qualities technology abolishes by emphasizing knowledge.
Gardening as Experienced Awareness
- Knausgaard reluctantly tends his own garden to connect with nature and learn its details.
- This gardening experience fosters present awareness and engagement beyond mere observation.
