Journal of Northeastern University(Social Science) ›› 2024, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (5): 1-7.DOI: 10.15936/j.cnki.1008-3758.2024.05.001

• Scientific and Technological Philosophy •    

On the Obsolescence of Man: The Core Issue of Anders' Critique of Reification

ZHU Chunyan, TIAN Wenjun   

  1. (School of Marxism, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110169, China)
  • Published:2024-10-10
  • Contact: -
  • About author:-
  • Supported by:
    -

Abstract: “The obsolescence of man” is the core issue of Anders' critique of reification, which emerged in his life experience and matured in his critical process from “shame of Prometheus” to “fetishism of technology”. According to the logical path of various technologies' reification of human body and soul, the analysis of the reification of human body by machine technology, the reification of human eyes and ears by mass media, the reification of human emotion and consciousness by nuclear technology, and the reification of human nature by “ergonomics” can reveal the diachronic evolution of Anders' critique of reification. Anders' critique of reification has the usual pessimistic background of humanist technical philosophers, but it also illuminates the “blind spots” of western Marxist research by exploiting the audience labor.

Key words: Gunther Anders; Die Antiquiertheit Des Menschen; critique of reification; “the shame of Prometheus”

CLC Number: