Journal of Islamic Civilization
Vol 7 No 2 (2025): Journal of Islamic Civilization

The Genealogy of Digital Asceticism in the Vortex of the Attention Economy: The Dialectic of Technologies of the Self and Muraqabah

Achmad Zain Avicena (Unknown)
Muchammad Helmi Umam (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
15 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study examines the genealogy of “digital zuhud” as a response to the attention economy that exploits individual subjectivity in the contemporary digital ecosystem. The main focus of the study is directed at the dialectic between Michel Foucault's concept of technologies of the self and the practice of muraqabah in the tradition of Islamic spirituality. Using a descriptive-analytical qualitative design with a literature study approach, this study analyzes the primary texts Technologies of the Self and Al-Ri'ayah through a philosophical parallelism method. The findings show that muraqabah functions as a transcendent mechanism that builds spiritual resilience to counter neoliberal alienation and self-quantification. Digital zuhud is formulated as a reconstructive framework for hybrid subjectivity to maintain moral agency amid algorithmic control. This study contributes to enriching the Foucaultian discourse with Eastern spiritual dimensions, while bridging the gap between Western technological ethics and Islamic tradition. The practical implications include guidelines for designing technologies that support ethical self-care. Future research is recommended to conduct empirical testing to validate the effectiveness of digital zuhud on a broader user population.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JIC

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities

Description

Journal of Islamic Civilization (JIC) dikelola oleh Pusat Pengembangan Masyarakat dan Peradaban Islam (PPMPI-UNUSA), dan diterbitkan oleh Unusa Press dengan nomor ISSN : 2567-1021 dan e-ISSN : 2567-1013. Fokus JIC adalah terkait dengan studi tentang masyarakat Islam yang terdiri dari studi Budaya ...