Ben Turner's book 'Returning to Judgment' explores the role of anthropology in Bernard Stiegler's work, focusing on the concept of political decision-making.
Bernard Stiegler's philosophy examines the tension between totalization and non-totalization in political judgments, advocating for pharmacologically curative judgments that balance openness and meaning.
Stiegler argues that the concept of the human is shaped by technicity, emphasizing the need for a productive and positive use of technology to define the desired way of being human.
Deep dives
Ben Turner's interest in Bernard Stiegler's work
Ben Turner, a senior lecturer in political theory, discusses his fascination with the work of Bernard Stiegler. He explains that his initial interest was in the political implications of Stiegler's ideas on post-industrial subjectivity and engagement in politics. Over time, Turner expanded his focus to explore the foundational issues of the political concepts in continental philosophy. Turner embarked on researching the role of anthropology in Stiegler's work, which led him to the concept of judgment or political decision-making. This became a central theme in his book, 'Returning to Judgment, Bernard Stiegler and Continental Political Theory'. Turner's aim in writing the book was to make Stiegler's work more accessible and to examine his significance within the continental tradition of philosophy.
Bernard Stiegler's background and contributions
Bernard Stiegler was a philosopher of technology, known for his work on techniques and their impact on social and political systems. He was part of a group of philosophers who sought to push post-war French philosophy in new directions. Stiegler's main focus was on the pharmacological perspective of techniques, which he differentiated from mere technology. He viewed techniques as externalized memory, providing humans with the ability to pass on individual memories beyond death. Stiegler argued that techniques framed and shaped our interactions with the world and formed the basis of human culture. He emphasized the curative and poisonous tendencies of technical tools and explored their political implications, particularly in relation to capitalism, climate change, and algorithmic governance. Stiegler's background included a unique path to philosophy, as he began studying it seriously while incarcerated for bank robbery, finding solace and intellectual pursuit during his time in isolation.
The balance between totalization and non-totalization in Stiegler's philosophy
Stiegler's philosophy grappled with the tension between totalization and non-totalization in political judgments. Totalization refers to closed, all-encompassing perspectives that limit openness and pluralistic engagement. On the other hand, non-totalization embraces openness but lacks a guiding framework. Stiegler argued for a balance between the two, emphasizing the need for what he called pharmacologically curative judgments. These judgments maintained openness while still providing meaning and direction. Stiegler's concept of locality played a significant role in this balancing act. Locality encompassed various practices and fields, fostering diversity of thought and contributing to broader totalizing claims about what it means to be human. Through the cultivation of local practices and engagement with concepts like amateurism, Stiegler sought to navigate the passage between the local and the universal, generating better political judgments and addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change and AI governance.
Stiegler's critique of sophistry and the negative impact of using writing shamefully
Stiegler believes that the problem lies not in writing itself, but in how it is used shamefully. He draws on Socrates' viewpoint in the Phaedrus that emphasizes the pragmatic nature of writing. Stiegler is concerned with the political impact of the misuse of writing, particularly the negative effects on public institutions. He argues that while writing is constitutive of our existence, we must be cautious about where and how we use it.
The human as a fiction and the role of technicity in shaping its meaning
Stiegler suggests that the concept of the human is a fiction resulting from the constitutive relationship between humans and technicity. He asserts that technicity, as an ever-changing and contingent set of artifice, shapes our understanding of what it means to be human. The concept of the human is therefore historically determined and varies based on the technological context. Stiegler argues that our understanding of the human is not fixed by genetic traits, but rather constructed through cultural values and meanings attached to it. He introduces the term 'non inhuman' to describe the desired way of being human, which involves using technicity in a productive and positive sense.
Ben Turner is a Senior Lecturer in Political Theory in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent. His research addresses questions relating to technology, work, ideology and ontology. In this episode we discuss his book Returning to Judgment: Bernard Stiegler and Continental Political Theory
Book link: https://sunypress.edu/Books/R/Returning-to-Judgment
