The concepts · Entry

cognitive capitaln.

The set of resources that allow an individual to retain an effective capacity for judgement in a saturated informational environment: time, attention, knowledge, command of the tools, the ability to contextualise, to verify, to stand back and to resist constant solicitation. In Asma Mhalla’s work, this capital is unevenly distributed. As digital systems become more complex, more personalised and more pervasive, some individuals have more of the resources needed to understand the mechanisms shaping their perception and to preserve their autonomy. Cognitive liberty therefore has a social dimension: it also depends on the material, intellectual and temporal means to exercise it. Cognitive inequality thus becomes a new form of political inequality.

First public appearance — 3 March 2024, Signes des temps — France Culture · Nos cerveaux sont-ils devenus l’ultime champ de bataille ? ↗