RE-PROGRAMMING LYOTARD: FROM THE POSTMODERN TO …

60 RE-PROGRAMMING LYOTARD: FROM THE POSTMODERN TO THE POSTHUMAN CONDITIONW illiam MartinINTRODUCTIONThe work of Jean Francois Lyotard has often been interpreted as the philosophical justification for a certain concept of postmodernism namely, the idea that science and culture provide competing narratives for understanding reality yet such an interpretation fails to understand the function that the techno-scientific system is supposed to perform in computerized societies, or the manner in which the diffusion of new technologies alters the cultural infrastructure of the life-world. In order to respond to this situation, I propose to adopt the new perspective outlined by Lyotard in The Inhuman,1 a series of lectures that reflect upon the cultural significance of the dialectic of scientific research described in The POSTMODERN Now, while it would be a mistake to describe the tone of The Inhuman as optimistic (for the reason that Lyotard maintains his critique of the functional integration of science, technology and education in advanced capitalist societies), there is nevertheless an acceptance that the future of humanity will be determined by its capacity to negotiate a more creative, symbiotic relationship with these technologies.

60 parrhesiajournal.org RE-PROGRAMMING LYOTARD: FROM THE POSTMODERN TO THE POSTHUMAN CONDITION William Martin INTRODUCTION The work of Jean Francois Lyotard has often been interpreted as the philosophical justification for a certain

Loading..

Information

Related search queries