Course: Consciousness, Existentialism, and the Human Sociont

Instructor: Alexander Bard
Format: Three sessions (2h each)

Course Description

In this intensive short course, philosopher, futurist, and social theorist Alexander Bard explores the evolution of consciousness, the existential condition of humanity, and his groundbreaking concept of the human sociont—the networked collective being that emerges in the digital age.
Through dialogue with existentialist thinkers (Sartre, Heidegger, Kierkegaard) and systems theorists, Bard situates the individual within the larger matrix of culture, technology, and collective mind. Participants will gain both a philosophical grounding and a provocative lens to interpret the transformations of identity, meaning, and society in the 21st century.

Session Outline

Session 1: Consciousness and its Discontents

From Cartesian “I think” to networked mind.
Individual vs. dividual vs. sociont.
Bard’s philosophy of consciousness in dialogue with phenomenology and neuroscience.
Why existential anxiety persists—even in the age of global connectivity.

Session 2: Existentialism Rewired

Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre in the age of the algorithm.
Authenticity and freedom under surveillance capitalism.
The “death of God” revisited: new metaphysics of networks.
From angst to ecstasy: reframing existential choice in digital culture.

Session 3: The Human Sociont

Defining the sociont: humanity as a distributed intelligence.
Religion, ideology, and the sacralization of networks.
The ethics of the sociont: freedom, responsibility, and collective becoming.
Futures of identity: posthumanism, AI, and the possibility of a planetary mind.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

Understand Alexander Bard’s theory of the human sociont and its philosophical roots.
Situate existentialism within the context of network society and digital culture.
Critically engage with the relationship between individual consciousness and collective intelligence.
Develop new perspectives on freedom, meaning, and responsibility in a networked world.

About your instructor

Alexander Bard is a Swedish philosopher, author, music producer, and former rock star known for his deep explorations of technology, society, and human consciousness. Originally gaining fame as a musician in bands such as Army of Lovers, Vacuum, and BWO, Bard transitioned into philosophy, where he developed an influential framework for understanding digitalization and network society
Bard’s philosophy, developed with Jan Söderqvist, is rooted in thinkers like Hegel, Nietzsche, Deleuze, and Whitehead while also drawing on Persian mysticism and Zoroastrian thought. He is a vocal proponent of process philosophy, arguing that history is an unfolding process rather than a static structure. His latest book, *Process and Event* (2024), completes the *Narratology Trilogy* and proposes that history leads to the creation of a "Messiah machine," an emergent divine entity shaped by technological revolutions.
Bard’s philosophy, (including *The Futurica Trilogy* and *Digital Libido*, explore how digitalization disrupts traditional hierarchies, reshaping power, identity, and desire. Bard sees technology as the driving force of historical change, with human nature as a constant. He critiques outdated institutional structures and envisions a future governed by decentralized network dynamics.
A practicing Zoroastrian Bard’s spirituality aligns with his broader intellectual vision, emphasizing coherent pluralism, decentralization, and the rejection of authoritarianism in favor of emergent, self-organizing systems.

Alexander Bard’s Key Works.

"Netocracy: The New Power Elite and Life After Capitalism" (2000)
Co-authored with Jan Söderqvist, this book introduces the concept of the "netocracy," a new elite class emerging from the digital revolution, controlling networks and information rather than traditional forms of power.
"The Global Empire" (2002)
This book, also co-authored with Jan Söderqvist, explores the impact of technology on global power structures and society, continuing the ideas presented in Netocracy.
"The Body Machines" (2009)
The third book in The Futurica Trilogy, it delves into how digital technologies and networks shape human consciousness and the evolving nature of identity, focusing on the body’s role in the technological age.
"Syntheism: Creating God in the Internet Age" (2014)
Co-authored with Jan Söderqvist, Syntheism is a philosophical manifesto advocating for the creation of a new form of spirituality in the digital age, blending religion, technology, and collective human action to create a digital form of divinity.
"Digital Libido: Sex, Power and Violence in the Network Society" (2018)
In this work, Bard and Söderqvist examine how digital networks and technology affect human sexuality, power structures, and societal violence, drawing on philosophical frameworks from thinkers like Nietzsche and Deleuze.
"Process and Event" (2023)
Bard’s most recent work, co-authored with Jan Söderqvist, which explores the relationship between history, philosophy, and the divine, integrating artificial intelligence and digital networks into the evolution of human spirituality.

Course: Consciousness, Existentialism, and The Human Sociont

with Alexander Bard - 2nd, 9th and 16th November 2025, 6 PM CET