Christopher Watkin
@drchriswatkin.bsky.social
330 followers 70 following 110 posts
A/Prof French & Francophone Studies, Monash University. Author: Michel Serres: Figures of Thought(2020); Biblical Critical Theory (2022); The State of Nature and the Shaping of Modernity (2025). Linktr.ee/christopherwatkin
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
Jason Ramasami from @crosslands has made this lovely animation inspired by the Babel chapter of my book Biblical Critical Theory.
It dramatises the "Babelian quest" of striving to make a name for ourselves, and the libereating peace of receiving a name from a divine lover.
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
New video: In the age of AI, what makes us human?

AI copies our wit, memory, even empathy. But is that all we are? What makes us human when machines mirror our “borrowed qualities”?

Fearuting: Pascal Descartes Montaigne Hobbes Adendt Heidegger Augustine Kafka
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_OIsLN-iVE
What makes us human in the age of AI? A philosophical deep dive
YouTube video by Christopher Watkin
www.youtube.com
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
The telos of scholarly labor, namely truth told in charity, requires institutional forms that make virtue easier, not harder

"AI, proofing, and the meaning of what we do", by Lisa Herzog
crookedtimber.org/2025/08/19/a...
AI, proofing, and the meaning of what we do — Crooked Timber
crookedtimber.org
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
New video:
Should We Care About AI Welfare? 🤖💔
From medieval pig trials to Anthropic’s “model welfare” via Hobbes, Foucault, Augustine and Ricoeur.
An exploration of AI, ethics, imagination & love.
🎥 www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdJU...
Should We Care About AI Welfare?
YouTube video by Christopher Watkin
www.youtube.com
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
In November I'll be giving the Stob lecture at Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI.

My provisional title: "The Human Remains: Fragility and Fulfilment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence".

Come along and say hello on Nov 18 if you're in the area! www.thebanner.org/our-shared-m...
The Stob Lecture Series: A Continuing Legacy of Thought Leadership
The Official Magazine of the Christian Reformed Church
www.thebanner.org
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
If your AI could analyse your chats, what would it reveal about you? 🤖
In this video I take a philosophical look at the question of how we relate to AI, and give you a DIY AI Relational Audit to unearth hidden patterns in how you interact with your LLM.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN62...
The AI Mirror: What Does Your Chat History Say About You? A Philosophical Deep Dive and DIY Audit
YouTube video by Christopher Watkin
www.youtube.com
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
"I also don’t think you should work for the devil!" Duly noted, thanks ;)
And sincere thanks for those reflections, Andrew!
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
Thanks, Andrew! Yes, Sherry Turkle is strong on AI as companionship, especially for the elderly.
Let's play devil's advocate: what's wrong with ai companionship? How is it different to pet companionship or even being very fond of a beloved object/item? Or falling in love with our fantasy of someone?
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
Next week I'll be talking on the Artificial Insights podcast, on the ethics of AI.
What points do you think I should make?
What is the AI ethics debate missing?
What are the currently under-discussed or underappreciated aspects of AI ethics?
manary.haus/podcast/
The Artificial Insights Podcast: How AI is Changing the Future of Work & Business
AI is a transformative technology that will define our generation. Learn how AI is changing the future of work and business straight from leaders and founder...
manary.haus
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
AI is no panacea in language learning, but for self-paced, personalised speaking practice, it can be super-useful.
I’ve built 4 free GPTs for French, German, Spanish & Italian: upload any article/novel, have a conversation, get personalised language + content feedback
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9f...
Conversation Practice Based On Any Article: Free GPTs for French, German, Spanish & Italian
YouTube video by Christopher Watkin
www.youtube.com
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
"AI is forcing us to ask fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of work. What’s the point of a college degree? ... I welcome these questions. We should have been asking them a long time ago, and now AI is forcing them on us all at once. Better late than never."
xianmind.bsky.social
Excellent thoughts from @drchriswatkin.bsky.social;

“The real AI apocalypse, the true exposé of our human condition, isn’t the rise of killer robots. It’s about the unveiling of our hearts, our priorities, our idols, and our hopes.”
www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/read...
Are You Ready for the AI Apocalypse?
The God of the Bible cares not only about what we human beings do but also about who we’re becoming as we do it.
www.thegospelcoalition.org
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
In this new video I interview Dr Ashok Collins about his forthcoming monograph "Jean-Luc Nancy and the Deconstruction of Christianity" in the Edinburgh University Press @edinburghup.bsky.social 'Crosscurrents' series.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYwB...
Jean Luc Nancy and the Deconstruction of Christianity: A conversation with Ashok Collins
YouTube video by Christopher Watkin
www.youtube.com
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
In June I had the honour of delivering the annual Isaac Armitage Lecture at the Shore School, Sydney: "Custodians of the Common Good: Christian Education in a Post-Christian World"
The video is now available: www.shore.nsw.edu.au/about/news/t...
Armitage Lecture 2025
The Armitage Lecture series was established in 2005 aiming to encourage thinking on matters to do with Anglican schooling.
www.shore.nsw.edu.au
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
The publication process for "The State of Nature and the Shaping of Modernity" grinds on.
Here is the proof (in both senses).
drchriswatkin.bsky.social
I'm responding to copyediting queries for the state of nature book today. It's pedants' corner, and I'm loving it. Here's sthg I didn't know: A word or phrase preceded by so-called need not be enclosed in quotation marks as the expression itself indicates irony or doubt--CMS 7.59