Author: Friedrich Georg Juenger
Publisher: Alethes
ISBN: 9781934182109
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Book Description
Never has the cold, ruthlessness of the systematized, technological society been subjected to such a profound, penetrating critique as the one which Friedrich Georg Juenger (1898-1977) presents in this book?now for the first time published in English in the author?s final edition (the fourth German edition) and under its correct title. And many would claim this book?s central thesis and attendant insights, all deeply rooted in Juenger?s personal synthesis of the best traditions of European humanism, have never been refuted.?We will start from an observation which no one who has ever made it can forget,? writes Juenger. ?Is there not a direct connection between the increase in knowledge concerning mechanically exact processes, and the fact that modern man, in a strange manner, loses his individuality, loses his balance, his grip upon life, feels increasingly endangered and susceptible to attack...??When it was first published in Germany in 1946 and in the United States in 1949 (as "The Failure of Technology: Perfection Without Purpose"), this unsettling book confronted readers with this challenging question and others stemming from it?all of them more relevant in our age of computers and biotechnology than they were then. No one has probed as deeply as Juenger into the reasons that the instruments promised to bring ever greater freedom to man threaten to become the means of his economic, political, and social servitude. Topics include: the delusion of the saving of labor; the pillaging of the earth by industry; the invasion of life by the automaton; technology?s attack upon law and property; the profound difference between technical training and education; how and why technology usurps the state; the mechanical sterility of modern sports; and the unsettling coincidence of the rise of the industrial masses and the advent of imperialism.
The Perfection of Technology
Author: Friedrich Georg Juenger
Publisher: Alethes
ISBN: 9781934182109
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Book Description
Never has the cold, ruthlessness of the systematized, technological society been subjected to such a profound, penetrating critique as the one which Friedrich Georg Juenger (1898-1977) presents in this book?now for the first time published in English in the author?s final edition (the fourth German edition) and under its correct title. And many would claim this book?s central thesis and attendant insights, all deeply rooted in Juenger?s personal synthesis of the best traditions of European humanism, have never been refuted.?We will start from an observation which no one who has ever made it can forget,? writes Juenger. ?Is there not a direct connection between the increase in knowledge concerning mechanically exact processes, and the fact that modern man, in a strange manner, loses his individuality, loses his balance, his grip upon life, feels increasingly endangered and susceptible to attack...??When it was first published in Germany in 1946 and in the United States in 1949 (as "The Failure of Technology: Perfection Without Purpose"), this unsettling book confronted readers with this challenging question and others stemming from it?all of them more relevant in our age of computers and biotechnology than they were then. No one has probed as deeply as Juenger into the reasons that the instruments promised to bring ever greater freedom to man threaten to become the means of his economic, political, and social servitude. Topics include: the delusion of the saving of labor; the pillaging of the earth by industry; the invasion of life by the automaton; technology?s attack upon law and property; the profound difference between technical training and education; how and why technology usurps the state; the mechanical sterility of modern sports; and the unsettling coincidence of the rise of the industrial masses and the advent of imperialism.
Publisher: Alethes
ISBN: 9781934182109
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Book Description
Never has the cold, ruthlessness of the systematized, technological society been subjected to such a profound, penetrating critique as the one which Friedrich Georg Juenger (1898-1977) presents in this book?now for the first time published in English in the author?s final edition (the fourth German edition) and under its correct title. And many would claim this book?s central thesis and attendant insights, all deeply rooted in Juenger?s personal synthesis of the best traditions of European humanism, have never been refuted.?We will start from an observation which no one who has ever made it can forget,? writes Juenger. ?Is there not a direct connection between the increase in knowledge concerning mechanically exact processes, and the fact that modern man, in a strange manner, loses his individuality, loses his balance, his grip upon life, feels increasingly endangered and susceptible to attack...??When it was first published in Germany in 1946 and in the United States in 1949 (as "The Failure of Technology: Perfection Without Purpose"), this unsettling book confronted readers with this challenging question and others stemming from it?all of them more relevant in our age of computers and biotechnology than they were then. No one has probed as deeply as Juenger into the reasons that the instruments promised to bring ever greater freedom to man threaten to become the means of his economic, political, and social servitude. Topics include: the delusion of the saving of labor; the pillaging of the earth by industry; the invasion of life by the automaton; technology?s attack upon law and property; the profound difference between technical training and education; how and why technology usurps the state; the mechanical sterility of modern sports; and the unsettling coincidence of the rise of the industrial masses and the advent of imperialism.
The Religion of Technology
Author: David F. Noble
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 0307828530
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 341
Book Description
Arguing against the widely held belief that technology and religion are at war with each other, David F. Noble's groundbreaking book reveals the religious roots and spirit of Western technology. It links the technological enthusiasms of the present day with the ancient and enduring Christian expectation of recovering humankind's lost divinity. Covering a period of a thousand years, Noble traces the evolution of the Western idea of technological development from the ninth century, when the useful arts became connected to the concept of redemption, up to the twentieth, when humans began to exercise God-like knowledge and powers. Noble describes how technological advance accelerated at the very point when it was invested with spiritual significance. By examining the imaginings of monks, explorers, magi, scientists, Freemasons, and engineers, this historical account brings to light an other-worldly inspiration behind the apparently worldly endeavors by which we habitually define Western civilization. Thus we see that Isaac Newton devoted his lifetime to the interpretation of prophecy. Joseph Priestley was the discoverer of oxygen and a founder of Unitarianism. Freemasons were early advocates of industrialization and the fathers of the engineering profession. Wernher von Braun saw spaceflight as a millenarian new beginning for humankind. The narrative moves into our own time through the technological enterprises of the last half of the twentieth century: nuclear weapons, manned space exploration, Artificial Intelligence, and genetic engineering. Here the book suggests that the convergence of technology and religion has outlived its usefulness, that though it once contributed to human well-being, it has now become a threat to our survival. Viewed at the dawn of the new millennium, the technological means upon which we have come to rely for the preservation and enlargement of our lives betray an increasing impatience with life and a disdainful disregard for mortal needs. David F. Noble thus contends that we must collectively strive to disabuse ourselves of the inherited religion of technology and begin rigorously to re-examine our enchantment with unregulated technological advance.
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 0307828530
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 341
Book Description
Arguing against the widely held belief that technology and religion are at war with each other, David F. Noble's groundbreaking book reveals the religious roots and spirit of Western technology. It links the technological enthusiasms of the present day with the ancient and enduring Christian expectation of recovering humankind's lost divinity. Covering a period of a thousand years, Noble traces the evolution of the Western idea of technological development from the ninth century, when the useful arts became connected to the concept of redemption, up to the twentieth, when humans began to exercise God-like knowledge and powers. Noble describes how technological advance accelerated at the very point when it was invested with spiritual significance. By examining the imaginings of monks, explorers, magi, scientists, Freemasons, and engineers, this historical account brings to light an other-worldly inspiration behind the apparently worldly endeavors by which we habitually define Western civilization. Thus we see that Isaac Newton devoted his lifetime to the interpretation of prophecy. Joseph Priestley was the discoverer of oxygen and a founder of Unitarianism. Freemasons were early advocates of industrialization and the fathers of the engineering profession. Wernher von Braun saw spaceflight as a millenarian new beginning for humankind. The narrative moves into our own time through the technological enterprises of the last half of the twentieth century: nuclear weapons, manned space exploration, Artificial Intelligence, and genetic engineering. Here the book suggests that the convergence of technology and religion has outlived its usefulness, that though it once contributed to human well-being, it has now become a threat to our survival. Viewed at the dawn of the new millennium, the technological means upon which we have come to rely for the preservation and enlargement of our lives betray an increasing impatience with life and a disdainful disregard for mortal needs. David F. Noble thus contends that we must collectively strive to disabuse ourselves of the inherited religion of technology and begin rigorously to re-examine our enchantment with unregulated technological advance.
The Perfection of the Paper Clip
Author: James Ward
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 1476799873
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
Change the way you look at office supplies forever with this wonderfully enlightening and quirky exploration of the fascinating backstories of everyday objects, such as the humble and perfectly designed paper clip and the utilitarian, irreplaceable pencil. How many of humanity’s brightest ideas started out on a scrap of paper or in the margins of a notebook? In a delightfully witty and fresh voice, James Ward—cofounder of the Boring Conference and collector of the arcane—explores the secret histories of deskbound supplies, from pencils to fluorescent ink, and the gleaming reams of white paper we all take for granted, encouraging a deeper appreciation and fascination for the things that surround us each day. In the spirit of The Evolution of Useful Things and A History of the World in 100 Objects, Ward transforms the mundane into remarkable stories of invention, discovery, and even awe. The Perfection of the Paper Clip is “a hugely entertaining experience for the reader…this engaging book is an absolute must” (Booklist).
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 1476799873
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
Change the way you look at office supplies forever with this wonderfully enlightening and quirky exploration of the fascinating backstories of everyday objects, such as the humble and perfectly designed paper clip and the utilitarian, irreplaceable pencil. How many of humanity’s brightest ideas started out on a scrap of paper or in the margins of a notebook? In a delightfully witty and fresh voice, James Ward—cofounder of the Boring Conference and collector of the arcane—explores the secret histories of deskbound supplies, from pencils to fluorescent ink, and the gleaming reams of white paper we all take for granted, encouraging a deeper appreciation and fascination for the things that surround us each day. In the spirit of The Evolution of Useful Things and A History of the World in 100 Objects, Ward transforms the mundane into remarkable stories of invention, discovery, and even awe. The Perfection of the Paper Clip is “a hugely entertaining experience for the reader…this engaging book is an absolute must” (Booklist).
Ernst Jünger’s Philosophy of Technology
Author: Vincent Blok
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1351733621
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 166
Book Description
This book examines the work of Jünger and its effect on the development of Heidegger’s philosophy of technology. It offers a unique treatment of Jünger’s philosophy and his conception of the age of technology, in which both world and man appear in terms of their functionality and efficiency. It demonstrates Jünger’s influence on Heidegger’s conceptions of will, work and gestalt at the beginning of the 1930s. At the same time, Blok evaluates Heidegger’s criticism of Jünger and provides a novel interpretation of the Jünger-Heidegger connection: that Jünger’s work in fact testifies to a transformation of our relationship to language and conceptualizes the future in terms of the Anthropocene.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1351733621
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 166
Book Description
This book examines the work of Jünger and its effect on the development of Heidegger’s philosophy of technology. It offers a unique treatment of Jünger’s philosophy and his conception of the age of technology, in which both world and man appear in terms of their functionality and efficiency. It demonstrates Jünger’s influence on Heidegger’s conceptions of will, work and gestalt at the beginning of the 1930s. At the same time, Blok evaluates Heidegger’s criticism of Jünger and provides a novel interpretation of the Jünger-Heidegger connection: that Jünger’s work in fact testifies to a transformation of our relationship to language and conceptualizes the future in terms of the Anthropocene.
Technology and the Future
Author: Albert H. Teich
Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780534604264
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
Examining how technology shapes society while itself being shaped by social trends, this text presents a balanced view, including critics of technology as well as technological enthusiasts.
Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780534604264
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
Examining how technology shapes society while itself being shaped by social trends, this text presents a balanced view, including critics of technology as well as technological enthusiasts.
A Measure of Perfection
Author: Charles Colbert
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 9780807846735
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 474
Book Description
Despite its widespread popularity in antebellum America, phrenology has rarely been taken seriously as a cultural phenomenon. Charles Colbert seeks to redress this neglect by demonstrating the important contributions the theory made to artistic developmen
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 9780807846735
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 474
Book Description
Despite its widespread popularity in antebellum America, phrenology has rarely been taken seriously as a cultural phenomenon. Charles Colbert seeks to redress this neglect by demonstrating the important contributions the theory made to artistic developmen
The Restoration of Perfection
Author: George Ovitt
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
The Earth Has a Soul
Author: Carl G. Jung
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 9781556433795
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
Discover a new side to Carl Jung in this beautiful collection of his writings, speeches, seminars, and letters on nature and our connection to the natural world. Join Jung as he rediscovers the original unity of nature, and the spirits inside matter come to life once again. These selections, not just from his published writings, but also from speeches, obscure seminars, interview, and letters, show a less familiar side of the famous Swiss psychiatrist, whose deep concern over the loss of our emotional and mythic relationship with Nature is expressed in moving, poetic terms. Included are excerpts from Memories, Dreams, Reflections among Jung’s other works. While never losing sight of the rational, cultured mind, Jung speaks for the natural mind, source of the evolutionary experience and accumulated wisdom of our species. Through his own example, Jung shows how healing our own living connection with Nature contributes to the whole. TABLE OF CONTENTS • Jung’s Own Relationship with Nature • Consciousness Slipped from Its Natural Foundation • Nature Was Once Fully Spirit and Matter • The Primitive Knows How to Converse with the Soul • We Have Conquered Nature is Merely a Slogan • Our Civilizing Potential Has Led Us Down the Wrong Path • We Know Nothing of Man • Nature Must Not Win but Cannot Lose
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 9781556433795
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
Discover a new side to Carl Jung in this beautiful collection of his writings, speeches, seminars, and letters on nature and our connection to the natural world. Join Jung as he rediscovers the original unity of nature, and the spirits inside matter come to life once again. These selections, not just from his published writings, but also from speeches, obscure seminars, interview, and letters, show a less familiar side of the famous Swiss psychiatrist, whose deep concern over the loss of our emotional and mythic relationship with Nature is expressed in moving, poetic terms. Included are excerpts from Memories, Dreams, Reflections among Jung’s other works. While never losing sight of the rational, cultured mind, Jung speaks for the natural mind, source of the evolutionary experience and accumulated wisdom of our species. Through his own example, Jung shows how healing our own living connection with Nature contributes to the whole. TABLE OF CONTENTS • Jung’s Own Relationship with Nature • Consciousness Slipped from Its Natural Foundation • Nature Was Once Fully Spirit and Matter • The Primitive Knows How to Converse with the Soul • We Have Conquered Nature is Merely a Slogan • Our Civilizing Potential Has Led Us Down the Wrong Path • We Know Nothing of Man • Nature Must Not Win but Cannot Lose
Unframing Martin Heidegger’s Understanding of Technology
Author: Søren Riis
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1498567673
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
This book presents a new and radical interpretation of some of Martin Heidegger’s most influential texts. The unfamiliar interpretations all seek to question and unframe hasty assessments of the concepts and constellations of thoughts surrounding Heidegger’s notion of modern technology. Heidegger’s impressive work still hides many treasures and strange thoughts giving original insights into the rise of biotechnology, transgressions between art and technology and the writing of Western history. By way of surprising thought experiments, critical questioning, allusions and systematic conclusions, this book presents Heidegger’s thoughts on technology in a way that not only shows his importance for philosophy and modern society, but also identifies his shortcomings and uses his original thoughts and concepts against him.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1498567673
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
This book presents a new and radical interpretation of some of Martin Heidegger’s most influential texts. The unfamiliar interpretations all seek to question and unframe hasty assessments of the concepts and constellations of thoughts surrounding Heidegger’s notion of modern technology. Heidegger’s impressive work still hides many treasures and strange thoughts giving original insights into the rise of biotechnology, transgressions between art and technology and the writing of Western history. By way of surprising thought experiments, critical questioning, allusions and systematic conclusions, this book presents Heidegger’s thoughts on technology in a way that not only shows his importance for philosophy and modern society, but also identifies his shortcomings and uses his original thoughts and concepts against him.
Martin Heidegger
Author: Rüdiger Safranski
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674387102
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 500
Book Description
The story of Heidegger's life and philosophy, a quintessentially German story in which good and evil, brilliance and blindness are inextricably entwined and the passions and disasters of a whole century come into play, is told in this brilliant biography.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674387102
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 500
Book Description
The story of Heidegger's life and philosophy, a quintessentially German story in which good and evil, brilliance and blindness are inextricably entwined and the passions and disasters of a whole century come into play, is told in this brilliant biography.