Abstract
How does one contribute to a process of transformation towards great social justice and what are the barriers that stand in the way? Some of the ideas presented in the book Gilbert Simondon: Being and Technology help us to address two issues vital to the above: first, that of why it is that humans are sometimes so loathe to oppose the forces and factors that prevent them striving for greater social justice, and second, how one can envision alternative forms of leadership—ones that rest less upon the power or influence of specific individuals, but do take into account human (and non-human) interdependencies. The publication of this text is a step in the direction of making Simondon’s work more readily available, and helps us to see how a different understanding of how human individuality is formed offers new insights into both these issues.
Highlights
Gilbert Simondon: Being and Technology claims to be the first book in English dedicated entirely to the work of this French philosopher
Chapter One is a translation of a previously unpublished text of Simondon on “Technical Mentality” and is helpfully followed by a commentary consisting of a questioning of Brian Massumi by the editors
This highlights the key themes of individuation, metastability—the fragile, provisional equilibrium that is subject to constant perturbation (p. 30), and the idea of the pre-individual—that which is always in advance of the actual process of individuation and which enables the constant possibility of change and transformation (p. 32)
Summary
Gilbert Simondon: Being and Technology claims to be the first book in English dedicated entirely to the work of this French philosopher. Two main themes emerge, ontology and technology, but our main interest is his ideas on human formation, and their implications for change, development and education more generally.
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