441 - Mary Harrington - Technology, AI, and Cultural Memory
The Symbolic World
00:00
Intro
Jonathan Pageau introduces Mary Harrington and the episode's themes and Summit details.
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Transcript
Transcript
Episode notes
In this conversation, I sat down with Mary Harrington about technology and the online world.
Mary reflects on her path as a writer, the evolution of online culture, and the growing difficulty of discerning truth in the digital environment. We also touch on memory, embodiment, cancel culture, and politics.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/eeBZuA0S1ZE
Mary will be speaking at the Symbolic World Summit. The theme of the conference is Retelling the Cosmic Epic, and Mary’s talk will be titled: 'Rebuild the Monasteries'
Description:
In an age of AI "slop" and flattened culture, how do we understand, and cultivate, what makes us distinctly human? Mary Harrington will argue that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Premodern practices of memory and prayer, once cultivated in Europe's monasteries, can refresh our imaginations and salvage our human cultures in the digital age.
Come join us at Woodside Event Center | Broadview Heights, Ohio | May 14-16, 2026
Early Bird Pricing – Ends March 26th: Save $50 on both General Admission and VIP tickets
Buy tickets now: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
=====
NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel Shchelin
The problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out.
Presenter: Pavel Shchelin
Duration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men.
Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026.
Price: $180 USD - Involved patrons can get a 10% discount. Apply your code at checkout.
Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history
=====
Jonathan and Mary's discussion on Socrates in the City: https://youtu.be/nrsjZKPH4WA?si=kaM5zE2Qj-4XCD1K
Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
01:07 - Intro music
01:32 - Introduction
02:14 - Mary's journey
09:00 - The meaning of meaning
10:46 - The singularity already happened
12:53 - Being connected
17:28 - The printing press industrial template
20:52 - AI
22:21 - Using AI
25:47 - Internet platforms and politics
32:10 - Being anonymous
35:37 - Politics
37:44 - The end of the printing press
39:47 - The end of the industrial era
42:46 - Cancel culture
46:56 - Treasure houses
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
Mary reflects on her path as a writer, the evolution of online culture, and the growing difficulty of discerning truth in the digital environment. We also touch on memory, embodiment, cancel culture, and politics.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/eeBZuA0S1ZE
Mary will be speaking at the Symbolic World Summit. The theme of the conference is Retelling the Cosmic Epic, and Mary’s talk will be titled: 'Rebuild the Monasteries'
Description:
In an age of AI "slop" and flattened culture, how do we understand, and cultivate, what makes us distinctly human? Mary Harrington will argue that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Premodern practices of memory and prayer, once cultivated in Europe's monasteries, can refresh our imaginations and salvage our human cultures in the digital age.
Come join us at Woodside Event Center | Broadview Heights, Ohio | May 14-16, 2026
Early Bird Pricing – Ends March 26th: Save $50 on both General Admission and VIP tickets
Buy tickets now: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
=====
NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel Shchelin
The problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out.
Presenter: Pavel Shchelin
Duration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men.
Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026.
Price: $180 USD - Involved patrons can get a 10% discount. Apply your code at checkout.
Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history
=====
Jonathan and Mary's discussion on Socrates in the City: https://youtu.be/nrsjZKPH4WA?si=kaM5zE2Qj-4XCD1K
Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
01:07 - Intro music
01:32 - Introduction
02:14 - Mary's journey
09:00 - The meaning of meaning
10:46 - The singularity already happened
12:53 - Being connected
17:28 - The printing press industrial template
20:52 - AI
22:21 - Using AI
25:47 - Internet platforms and politics
32:10 - Being anonymous
35:37 - Politics
37:44 - The end of the printing press
39:47 - The end of the industrial era
42:46 - Cancel culture
46:56 - Treasure houses
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
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