Einführung

Abstract

The introduction to this anthology provides a basic orientation to the topic of self-optimization, which touches not only on fundamental questions of media studies but also anthropology. In the context of digital tracking technologies, self-optimization is a highly topical issue that can be located historically and theoretically in its ambivalences across disciplines. This becomes particularly clear in relation to debates on eugenics and trans- and posthumanism. The introduction outlines a heuristic triangulation of the topic between media studies, philosophy and sociology, but also emphasizes the relevance of traditional educational and pedagogical approaches as well as new economic requirements.