Conférence de Marcello Vitali-Rosati : The Factory of Thinking

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The lecture’s value lies in its thought-provoking thesis that material arrangements are thinking, not just conditions for it. Vitali-Rosati builds a strong argument by connecting ancient philosophical dualisms, historical gender dynamics in computing, and contemporary digital practices. He uses clear examples, such as the double-slit experiment and Word’s docx format, to illustrate abstract ideas. However, his argumentation is primarily philosophical and interpretive, relying on rhetorical persuasion rather than empirical evidence. Some transitions, such as the leap from quantum physics to writing formats, could be better motivated, but overall the reasoning is coherent and compelling for an academic audience.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

Vitali-Rosati demonstrates scholarly rigor by anchoring his discussion in canonical sources: Plato’s Phaedrus, Derrida’s ‘La pharmacie de Platon,’ and Karen Barad’s work. He also references the article ‘What Is New Materialism?’ by Gamble, Hanan, and Nail to contextualize diverse strands. While he cites these correctly, he often paraphrases and does not provide precise citations, which limits verifiability. The title ‘The Factory of Thinking’ is well-aligned with the content, though it is more poetic than descriptive; the lecture indeed explores how thinking is produced through material infrastructures. No user comments were provided, so no public reception trends could be analyzed.

The title accurately reflects the content, which explores how material formats and tools constitute thinking itself, aligning with the lecture's thesis.

8/10

The lecture is delivered by a recognized professor in digital humanities, referencing established theorists (Plato, Derrida, Barad) and presenting a coherent philosophical argument. However, it leans heavily on personal interpretation and lacks empirical evidence for some claims.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 03:00Introduction and main thesis: protocols and formats are thinking.
• 10:00Plato's critique of writing and the form-matter opposition.
• 20:00Historical gender bias: women in early computing and the Busa project.
• 30:00Karen Barad's new materialism and the double-slit experiment.
• 40:00Implications for text and writing: matter matters.
• 50:00Critique of Microsoft Word and docx format.
• 1:00:00Introduction of the Stylo editor as an alternative.
• 1:10:00Q&A session begins; discussion on consequences.

• Phaedrus (Plato) — Cited as the source of the critique of writing as an imperfect material inscription.
• La pharmacie de Platon (Jacques Derrida) — Referenced for his critique of the immateriality of text and metaphysics of presence.
• Meeting the Universe Halfway (Karen Barad) — Source of Barad's agential realism and the concept 'matter matters'.
• What Is New Materialism? (Gamble, Hanan, Nail) — Used to categorize different forms of new materialism, with Barad's as the most developed.
• The work of Roberto Busa and the digitization of Thomas Aquinas — Example of early digital humanities where women did the keypunching.

• New Materialism (Gamble, Hanan, Nail) — Supports the classification of Barad's approach as the most advanced form of new materialism.