Philosophy and Digitalisation have much in common: a conversation with Klaus Kvorning Hansen, Chairman of DANSK IT
DSJC Denmark has invited the Chairman of the Steering Committee of DSJC Klaus Kvorning Hansen to a conversation on his long-standing technology service and a dialogue on visions of technology development and the first time in DSJC Denmark. To this end, we get personal stories of how IT, digitalisation, etc. and philosophy are almost each other’s prerequisites.
Philosophy as a basis for life and career change
Training in philosophy as a stepping stone to the World of Technology...
Klaus Kvorning Hansen reflects on his journey from philosophy to the world of technology and describes the shift as the start of his career since. He stresses the importance of seeing a context, logic and consistency in human thinking and actions.
“I think back, then my interest in philosophy is probably the most profound desire to see consistency in things. This also applies to the idea of the valid argument or conclusion. I have always wanted to see a context, logic and consistency of people thinking, expressing and doing.”
After finishing his masters' and having had a research fellowship, he sees the challenges of getting a job in philosophy. He was already a self-taught user of the time’s personal computers and seized the opportunity to switch to a small software company in Copenhagen, which started his career.
“After graduating from my masters', and venturing on to a research scholarship, I saw how difficult it would be to get a job with philosophy. I was a typical self-taught with personal computers, and when an apartment came, I went to and switched to a small software company in Copenhagen. This was the start of the career I have had ever since.”
Philosophical Fundamentals in Life and Management
Use of philosophy training in daily life, and management work
Klaus reflects on general academic education as a strong foundation, especially in his role as leader. He stresses the importance of being able to obtain a large amount of information and to extract the essence, which has been valuable in his managerial responsibilities. The language philosophy, his main philosophical domain, has shaped his approach to opinion-forming and communication.
“Academic education is generally a good foundation. Being able to obtain a large amount of information and knowledge and to extract the essence has been valuable to me. I have been able to use this, especially when I became a leader and had to familiarise myself with large quantities of drugs, diverse situations and many kinds of customers.”
An example of the influence of philosophy is that with the concept of digitalisation we have started to point to something that is broader than IT. This indicates a common understanding that IT is more than technology and it is a wider audience that is spoken to.
“More specifically, the language philosophy, which was my main philosophical domain, has also followed me. For me, it is an important insight that we create meaningful statements and actions by doing things on a regular basis. This is a prerequisite for us, in the given context, to understand each other and to arrive at what it makes sense, for example, to do or does not make sense.”
Philosophical reflection at the age of Digitalisation
Philosophy of valuable contribution to information technology
Philosophy plays a crucial role in reflecting on how to exploit the technology, according to Hansen. He elaborates on how philosophical reflection is about considering what human image we are working from, especially in relation to artificial intelligence.
“The philosophy also has much to contribute to information technology. A philosophical reflection is about, among other things, how to exploit the technology? What is it, for example, for a human image from which we are currently working? [...] It is very much saying how we perceive ourselves and perhaps how limited that perception is.”
When it comes to the reflective skills, Hansen stresses the importance of using them in relation to digital technologies and calls for critical thinking, especially with regard to artificial intelligence and children’s digital consumption.
“When I talk more generally about the reflective skills, this is the ability we all have as people and should be applied to the digital phenomenon. Philosophy is a well-disciplined refractory act of thinking about things, critically scrutinising them without giving fictitious and finished answers.”
Reflective Skills in Digital Aegean
The importance of reflective skills in digital technologies
Hansen argues for the importance of using reflective skills in relation to digital technologies and calls for critical thinking, especially in view of children’s digital consumption. He highlights that the reflective approach to the world is neglected in terms of digital development and calls for it to be brought into play in order to create informed citizens in the well-digitised society.
“The reflective approach to the world has all to some extent, but I think that we have neglected to put it into play in relation to the entire digital sphere, the way in which the technology is used.”
The reflective skills require knowledge of how the technology can be used. Hansen stresses the need to address how we exploit the benefits of digital technology and he mentions the need to build and maintain user and creator skills.
“The reflective skills require knowledge of how the technology can be used. [...] The same applies to what we have called the creators’ competences. When you upload pictures, build a website or help develop new digital solutions for your work, you take advantage of digital creator skills, which also need to be developed and maintained.”
According to Hansen, the three types of skills, reflective, user and creator skills, are not separate, but their combination makes us informed citizens of the digital society.
“The three types of competences are not separate. It is the combination of the three types of competences that makes us aware of the digital technologies and the well-digitalised society we live in.”
Vision for DSJC Denmark and Important Results
Hansen shares his reasons for chairing the Danish coalition in the DSJC and highlights its long interest in digital skills as a main reason. He stresses the importance of strengthening the digital competences of all citizens in a value-creating, ethical, democratic and human-responsible way.
“My long interest in digital competences is a main reason for this. I have chaired the Danish IT system and later I was involved in setting up the Digital Competence Committee of DANSK IT, where I became President.”
Hansen sees Denmark’s strengths as a nation in historical education tradition and the desire for active and informed citizens. However, he points out a lack of trust in the public’s decision-making on digitalisation. He believes that citizens should be better involved and listened to in decision-making processes.
“Denmark has some fantastic prerequisites as a nation. We have a historical tradition of educating people, and in our way of organising things we need to take part in the decisions of the informed population.”
Hansen lists three main achievements of the DSJC Denmark’s work, including the collection of members and stakeholders, visibility towards the EU and the formulation of five focus areas. He stresses the importance of these achievements in improving the use, exploitation and integration of digitalisation in Denmark.
- “It has succeeded in bringing together a very wide range of members and stakeholders with different approaches and capacities in the field, which is very positive.”
- “We have succeeded in making us visible to the EU. It has also provided us with external contacts in Europe. We are cultured and built relationships with some of the other coalitions. It provides inspiration for action in individual countries and across countries.”
- “We [DSJC Denmark’s editorial board] have formulated 5 focus areas for the Danish coalition, which I think very well. By addressing the 5 areas in Denmark, we will have some prerequisites for much better use, use and integration of digitalisation.”
Hansen also reflects on the European discussion on the Danish and Scandinavian approach to things. He highlights Denmark’s historical tradition of education
Klaus Kvorning Hansen is both chairman of the Steering Committee of DSJC Denmark and coalition member of the Danish coalition.
