''Technics and Time, 1: The Fault of Epimetheus'' (french: La technique et le temps, 1: La faute d'Épiméthée) is a book by the French

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

Bernard Stiegler, first published by Galilée in 1994. The English translation, by George Collins and Richard Beardsworth, was published by

Stanford University Press Stanford University Press (SUP) is the publishing house of Stanford University. It is one of the oldest academic presses in the United States and the first university press to be established on the West Coast. It was among the presses officially ...

in 1998. The ''Technics and Time'' series is the fullest systematic statement by Stiegler of his philosophy, and the first volume draws on the work of

Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th centu ...

André Leroi-Gourhan André Leroi-Gourhan (; ; 25 August 1911 – 19 February 1986) was a French archaeologist, paleontologist, paleoanthropologist, and anthropologist with an interest in technology and aesthetics and a penchant for philosophical reflection. B ...

, Gilbert Simondon, Bertrand Gille,

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

, and Jean-Pierre Vernant in order to outline and develop Stiegler's major philosophical theses. The series consists of three books.

Overview

Stiegler argues that "technics" forms the horizon of human existence. This fact has been suppressed throughout the history of philosophy, which has never ceased to operate on the basis of a distinction between ''

episteme In philosophy, episteme (; french: épistémè) is a term that refers to a principle system of understanding (i.e., knowledge), such as scientific knowledge or practical knowledge. The term comes from the Ancient Greek verb grc, ἐπῐ́ ...

'' and '' tekhne''. The thesis of the book is that the genesis of technics corresponds not only to the genesis of what is called "human" but of temporality as such, and that this is the clue toward understanding the future of the dynamic process in which the human and the technical consists. *Part I conducts a reading of approaches to the history of technology and the origin of hominisation, in particular by

, Gilbert Simondon, and Bertrand Gille. The outcome of this reading is the thought that history cannot be thought according to the idea that humanity is the "subject" of this history and technology simply the object. When it comes to the relation between the human and the technical, the "who" and the "what" are in an undecidable relation. *Part II is largely a reading of the work of

in terms of the above consideration. Stiegler argues that Heidegger's philosophy fails adequately to grasp that, if there is such a thing as authentic temporality, the only access to it can be via objects, artefacts and, in general, technics, without which access to the past and future is impossible as such. Crucial to Stiegler's formulation of his understanding of humanity, technology, and time, is his reading of the myth of

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning " forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, kn ...

Succeeding volumes

Stiegler published three volumes in the ''Technics and Time'' series. ''The Fault of Epimetheus'' was followed by ''Tome 2: La désorientation'' (1996) and ''Tome 3: Le temps du cinéma et la question du mal-être'' (2001). Volume Two was published in translation by Stanford University Press in 2008 with the subtitle, ''Disorientation''. Volume Three appeared in 2010 with the subtitle, ''Cinematic Time and the Question of Malaise'' (both volumes translated by Stephen Barker).

References

External links

''Ars Industrialis''
for further Stiegler resources. {{Authority control 1994 non-fiction books Philosophy books Books in philosophy of technology French non-fiction books Works by Bernard Stiegler