Gilbert Simondon - The Evolution of Technics/Technical Reality
Mar 30, 2025
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The hosts delve into Gilbert Simondon's complex ideas on technical objects and their relationship with humans. They explore the intriguing dynamics of camouflage through examples from 'Dune' and consider how hyper-specialization in technology can lead to design challenges. The conversation touches on AI's rapid evolution versus true progress and the socio-cultural impact of energy systems. Philosophical insights on creativity and technological synergy elevate the discussion, intertwining nature and tech in transformative ways.
Simondon's exploration of technical reality illustrates the nuanced relationship between humans and evolving technological objects, emphasizing their contextual and cultural significance.
The critique of hyper-specialization highlights the importance of adapting technical objects to varied conditions, ensuring resilience against systemic failures and fostering innovation.
Simondon's argument for the fluidity of humanistic values in response to technological and cultural shifts encourages a rethinking of ethics in relation to evolving technical practices.
Deep dives
The Concept of Technical Reality
Technical reality is explored as the evolution of technological objects and their impact on human existence. The discussion emphasizes the intricate relationship between man and technology, delving into the evolution of technical beings and how they exist within a milieu that impacts their development. This evolution is not merely biological but incorporates the technical as a universal condition that influences society and culture. Through illustrative examples like the surgically designed blades of Toledo, the complexities of technical objects become evident, showcasing the interplay between the material qualities, the techniques involved, and the cultural significance surrounding them.
Simondon's Philosophical Approach
Simondon's philosophical approach integrates elements of cybernetics and Gestalt psychology, proposing an understanding of the technical object that goes beyond traditional definitions. His work presents a nuanced examination of how technical objects emerge as individuals that mediate between different milieus, allowing for reciprocal interactions. By highlighting concepts such as hyper-specialization, he critiques how overly specialized objects fail to adapt to varying conditions, which can lead to systemic failures. This perspective invites contemplation of how innovation needs to encompass broader contexts and conditions rather than narrowing focus to specialized functions.
Humanism in Technical Development
Simondon critiques the notion of a timeless humanism, suggesting instead that humanistic values evolve alongside technological advances and cultural shifts. His analysis highlights how techniques historically tied to noble pursuits evolve, reflecting societal changes and altering perceptions of value in labor. By examining the disparities between rural and urban life, he emphasizes that the cultural significance of various technical practices is inherently tied to their historical and geographical context. This framework encourages a rethinking of humanistic values as fluid and contingent upon the social and technical circumstances prevalent during each historical moment.
The Interaction of Negativity and Transformation
The tension between negativity and transformation is pivotal in Simondon's discourse, wherein negativity is seen not as a driver of progress but as an incitement for innovation. He proposes that technical beings evolve by seeking solutions to inadequacies within existing frameworks, indicating that the essence of technical evolution lies in responding to these challenges. This conceptualization implies that rather than viewing technical evolution as a linear progression, it should be understood as a series of transformations grounded in context and necessity. Through this lens, the discourse merges ethical considerations of human roles with the increasingly complex relationship to technology.
The Future of Technical Objects
The implications of Simondon's ideas lead to considerations about the future and potential of technical objects, suggesting that they possess intrinsic agency in shaping their existential frameworks. His discussion of invention highlights how the present is conditioned by what is yet to come, contributing to a more dynamic interpretation of technological evolution. He posits that the associated milieu that envelops technical individuals influences their functionality and their capacity for transformation, indicating a relationship of dependency and co-evolution. This perspective underlines the need for a holistic understanding of technical objects that appreciates their constructed nature and their potential to reshape societal structures and norms.
In this episode Cooper and Taylor discuss the second half of Gilbert Simondon's On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects.
Prior Episode - https://soundcloud.com/podcast-co-coopercherry/gilbert-simondon-on-the-mode-of-existence-of-technical-objects?si=720ba67baa9947f3b9f353ebec4ed261&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
PDF:
https://monoskop.org/images/2/20/Simondon_Gilbert_On_the_Mode_of_Existence_of_Technical_Objects_Part_I_alt.pdf
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