“This book offers a synthesis of the various ways in which the advent of the Internet has transformed daily life in democratic societies, both on a regional and international level. Interactive media, virtual non-localised communities and the explosion of free expression, which the Internet has facilitated, have resulted in the creation of a new forum of communications which will gradually and profoundly change public life and bring about increased freedom and greater responsibility for each citizen.
The development of cyberspace has already led to new modes of political practice: the virtual communities formed by digital cities and regions have created a form of local democracy which functions as a network and allows for increased participation. And the new on-line agoras provide new ways of exchanging information and engaging in debate. A globalised economy and world-wide communications have led to the rise of a new planetary society that calls for global government. The increasing interdependence of the world’s population and the urgent need for peace can justify this form of government. A new type of state should then emerge: its goal will be to guarantee cultural diversity and to stimulate every level of our collective social intelligence,” writes Pierre Lévy.

This ambitious and down-to-earth analysis is well served by Pierre Lévy’s style and prophetic vision. He has taken into account the latest and most innovative developments, as well as the political changes brought about by the new “information society”.

Pierre Lévy, a philosopher, teaches at the University of Quebec, in Trois Rivières. He is the author of Cyberculture and World Philosophy.