TY - JOUR

T1 - On cosmotechnics

T2 - For a renewed relaton between technology and nature in the anthropocene

AU - Hui, Yuk

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - This article aims to bring forward a critical reflection on a renewed relation between nature and technology in the Anthropocene, by contextualizing the question around the recent debates on the "ontological turn" in Anthropology, which attempts to go beyond the nature and culture dualism analysed as the crisis of modernity. The "politics of ontologies" associated with this movement in anthropology opens up the question of participation of non-humans. This article contrasts this anthropological attempt with the work of the philosopher Gilbert Simondon, who wants to overcome the antagonism between culture and technics. According to Simondon, this antagonism results from the technological rupture of modernity at the end of the eighteenth century. This paper analyses the differences of the oppositions presenting their work: culture vs. nature, culture vs. technics, to show that a dialogue between anthropology of nature (illustrated through the work of Philippe Descola) and philosophy of technology (illustrated through the work of Simondon) will be fruitful to conceptualize a renewed relation between nature and technology. One way to initiate such a conversation as well as to think about the reconciliation between nature and technology, this article tries to show, is to develop the concept of cosmotechnics as the denominator of these two trends of thinking.

AB - This article aims to bring forward a critical reflection on a renewed relation between nature and technology in the Anthropocene, by contextualizing the question around the recent debates on the "ontological turn" in Anthropology, which attempts to go beyond the nature and culture dualism analysed as the crisis of modernity. The "politics of ontologies" associated with this movement in anthropology opens up the question of participation of non-humans. This article contrasts this anthropological attempt with the work of the philosopher Gilbert Simondon, who wants to overcome the antagonism between culture and technics. According to Simondon, this antagonism results from the technological rupture of modernity at the end of the eighteenth century. This paper analyses the differences of the oppositions presenting their work: culture vs. nature, culture vs. technics, to show that a dialogue between anthropology of nature (illustrated through the work of Philippe Descola) and philosophy of technology (illustrated through the work of Simondon) will be fruitful to conceptualize a renewed relation between nature and technology. One way to initiate such a conversation as well as to think about the reconciliation between nature and technology, this article tries to show, is to develop the concept of cosmotechnics as the denominator of these two trends of thinking.

KW - Cosmotechnics

KW - Gilbert simondon

KW - Modernity

KW - Ontological turn

KW - Philippe descola

KW - Philosophy

KW - Cultural studies

KW - Digital media

KW - Cultural Informatics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85049095056&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.5840/techne201711876

DO - 10.5840/techne201711876

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85049095056

VL - 21

SP - 319

EP - 341

JO - Techne: Research in Philosophy and Technology

JF - Techne: Research in Philosophy and Technology

SN - 1091-8264

IS - 2-3

ER -