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Prometheanism

Technology, Digital Culture and Human Obsolescence

Häftad, Engelska, 2016

AvChristopher John Müller,Christopher John Muller

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Günther Anders’s prolific philosophy of technology is undergoing a major revival but has never been translated into English. Prometheanism mobilises Anders’s pragmatic thought and current trends in critical theory to rethink the constellations of power that are configuring themselves around our increasingly “smart” machines. The book offers a comprehensive introduction to Anders’s philosophy of technology with an annotated translation of his visionary essay ‘On Promethean Shame’, part of The Obsolescence of Human Beings 1 published in 1956.The essay analyses feelings of curtailment, obsolescence and solitude that become manifest whilst we interact with machines. When technological solutions begin to make humans look embarrassingly limited and flawed, new emotional vulnerabilities are exposed. These need to be thought, because our wavering confidence leaves us unprotected in an ever more (un)transparent, connected yet fractured world.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2016-07-29
Mått154 x 226 x 14 mm
Vikt286 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
SerieCritical Perspectives on Theory, Culture and Politics
Antal sidor186
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN9781783482399

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Christopher John Müller is an Honorary Research Associate of the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University and an Associate Teacher at the University of Bristol. His recent publications include ‘Desert Ethics: Technology and the Question of Evil in Günther Anders and Jacques Derrida’, Parallax (2015), 21 (1): 42-57 and ‘Style and Arrogance: The Ethics of Heidegger’s Style’, Style in Theory: Between Literature and Philosophy, ed. Ivan Callus, Gloria Lauri-Lucente, James Corby (Continuum, 2013), pp. 141-162. His work draws on Literature, Philosophy and Critical Theory to address the manner in which technological and linguistic structures shape human perception, agency and interaction.

Acknowledgments/ Introduction: Thinking Finitude, Digital Technology and Human Obsolescence with Günther Anders / Part I: On Promethean Shame/ Preface to the Translation of ‘On Promethean Shame’/“On Promethean Shame” (by Günther Anders)/ PART II: Utopia Inverted - Günther Anders in the Digital Age/1. Better than Human: Promethean Shame and the (Trans)humanist Project/2. The Punishment of Prometheus/Part III: Anaesthetic Lives: Joyful Surrender to Painful Obsolescence/3. The Unsalaried Masses: Working toward a ‘World without Us’/ 4. Invisible Monsters: Your Smartphone is an Atom Bomb/ Bibliography/Index

Although Günther Anders (1902-1992) is considered one of the most important philosophers of technology and although he spent many years exiled in the US, he received scant attention within the English-speaking world itself. Christopher John Müller’s comprehensive and sophisticated presentation and his nuanced translation of Anders’ crucial writing “On Promethean Shame” should hopefully change this. It demonstrates vividly the significance of Anders as a shrewd and original thinker who was able to anticipate a number of recent societal and technological developments. Müller’s book is crucial reading for anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of the workings of our technology-driven world.