Bernard Stiegler

Bernard Stiegler
Bernard Stiegler
	Bernard Stiegler in The Ister
Born	1 April 1952 (age 72); Seine-et-Oise
Era	21st-century philosophy
Region	Western Philosophy
School	Continental philosophy; Deconstruction; Post-structuralism
Institutions	Institut de recherche et d'innovation, Centre Georges-Pompidou
Main interests	Philosophy of technology · Individuation
Notable ideas	Symbolic misery

Bernard Stiegler (French: [stiɡlɛʁ]; born 1 April 1952) is a French philosopher. He is head of the Institut de recherche et d'innovation (IRI), which he founded in 2006 at the Centre Georges-Pompidou. He is also the founder in 2005 of the political and cultural group, Ars Industrialis, and the founder in 2010 of the philosophy school, pharmakon.fr, held at Épineuil-le-Fleuriel. His best known work is Technics and Time, 1: The Fault of Epimetheus.

Influences and themes

Stiegler's work is influenced by, among others, Sigmund Freud, André Leroi-Gourhan, Gilbert Simondon, Friedrich Nietzsche, Paul Valéry, Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Karl Marx, Gilles Deleuze and Jacques Derrida.

Key themes are technology, time, individuation, consumerism, consumer capitalism, technological convergence, digitization, Americanization, education and the future of politics and human society.

Incarceration

Between 1978 and 1983 Stiegler was incarcerated for armed robbery, first at the Prison Saint-Michel in Toulouse, and then at the Centre de détention in Muret. It was during this period that he became interested in philosophy, studying it by correspondence with Gérard Granel at the Université de Toulouse-Le-Mirail. His transformation in prison is recounted in his book, Passer à l’acte (2003; the English translation of this work is included in the 2009 volume, Acting Out).

Career

In 1987–88, with Catherine Counot, Stiegler commissioned an exhibition at the Centre Georges-Pompidou, entitled Mémoires du futur: bibliothèques et technologies. Stiegler defended his thesis at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in 1992. He has been a Director at the Collège international de philosophie, and a Professor at the Université de Technologie at Compiègne, as well as a visiting professor at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has held the positions of Director General at the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA), and Director General at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM).

On 1 January 2006 he commenced as Director of the Department of Cultural Development at the Centre Georges-Pompidou. He is currently Director of the Institut de recherche et d'innovation (IRI), which was created at his initiative in April 2006. The IRI is affiliated with the Department of Cultural Development.

In 2010, Stiegler opened his own philosophy school in the French town of Épineuil-le-Fleuriel.

Works

Stiegler has been prolifically publishing books, articles and interviews since 1994. His works include several ongoing series of books:

La technique et le temps (3 vols.). The Technics and Time series outlines the heart of Stiegler's philosophical project, and in particular his theses that the role of technics has been repressed throughout the history of philosophy, and that technics, as organised inorganic matter, and as essentially a form of memory, is constitutive of human temporality. The series contains extensive readings of the works of André Leroi-Gourhan, Martin Heidegger, Edmund Husserl, and Immanuel Kant. It also contains his explication of the "cinematic constitution of consciousness," as well as his thesis that human beings are essentially "adoptive" and "prosthetic" creatures. Stiegler has at times mentioned further volumes of this series, but these have yet to appear. All three extant volumes have been published in English translation by Stanford University Press.
De la misère symbolique (2 vols.). This series is concerned in particular with the ways in which cultural, symbolic and informational technologies have become a means of industrialising the formation of desire in the service of production, with destructive consequences for psychic and collective individuation. Stiegler outlines his concepts of "general organology" (a way of thinking the co-individuation of human organs, technical organs, and social organisations) and "genealogy of the sensible" (a way of thinking the historicity of human desire and aesthetics). It contains extensive readings of Sigmund Freud and Gilles Deleuze, as well as of the works of Alain Resnais, Bertrand Bonello, Andy Warhol, and Joseph Beuys. Both volumes have been published in English translation.
Mécréance et Discrédit (3 vols.). The Disbelief and Discredit series is concerned with the way in which the industrial organisation of production and then consumption has had destructive consequences for the modes of life of human beings, in particular with the way in which the loss of savoir-faire and savoir-vivre (that is, the loss of the knowledge of how to do and how to live), has resulted in what Stiegler calls "generalised proletarianisation." In this series Stiegler makes clear his view that, in the light of the present state of the global technical system, it is not a matter of overcoming capitalism but rather of transforming its industrial basis to prevent the loss of spirit from which it increasingly suffers. In the second volume Stiegler introduces the concept of the "Antigone complex," to describe the psychosocial effects of the destruction of authority—that is, the destruction of the superego—on politics and youth. The series contains extensive readings of Paul Valéry, Max Weber, Aristotle, and Herbert Marcuse, as well as analyses of the crisis of May 1968 and the crime of Patricia and Emmanuel Cartier. The first volume was published in English translation by Polity Press in 2011, the second in 2012 and the third in 2014.
Constituer l'Europe (2 vols.). In this series Stiegler is concerned with the effects of the destruction of psychic and collective individuation on Europe. He argues for the necessity of inaugurating a new individuation process at the continental level, itself embedded in an individuation process operating at a global level. At stake, he says, is the creation of a new European "motive" which will enable the reinvention of industrial civilisation.

Ars Industrialis

On 18 June 2005 Stiegler founded a political and cultural group, Ars Industrialis, the manifesto of which calls for an "industrial politics of spirit." The manifesto is signed by Stiegler and the other co-founders of the group, George Collins, Marc Crépon, Catherine Perret and Caroline Stiegler. An updated manifesto was released in 2010.

Épineuil-le-Fleuriel

On 18 September 2010 Stiegler opened his own philosophy school (called pharmakon.fr) in the small French town of Épineuil-le-Fleuriel, in the department of Cher. The school runs a course for lycée students in the region, a doctoral program conducted by videoconference, and a summer academy that involves both groups of students as well as interested inhabitants from the surrounding area. The context and themes of the school lie in Stiegler's argument that we are entering a period of post-consumerism and post-globalization. At a philosophical level, the school is engaged in research, critique and analysis in line with Stiegler's pharmacological approach.

Cinema and television

Stiegler features prominently in a number of works of film and television, and has appeared on French television numerous times. Among his most significant appearances are the following:

The Ister (2004), directed by Daniel Ross and David Barison, a feature documentary about Heidegger in which Stiegler plays an important part.
An Organization of Dreams (2009), directed by Ken McMullen, an experimental thriller inspired by Stiegler's work, and in which he appears.
Le temps de cerveau disponible (2010), directed by Jean-Robert Viallet, a documentary about television in which Stiegler is the main participant.
Après la gauche (2011), directed by Jeremy Forny, a documentary about the problems of the political Left, featuring Stiegler.

Family

Stiegler's daughter Barbara (born 1971) is also a philosopher. She attended the École Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-St-Cloud, and in 2003 obtained her doctorate from the University of Paris IV: Paris-Sorbonne. Barbara Stiegler is the author of Nietzsche et la biologie (2001) and Nietzsche et la critique de la chair: Dionysos, Ariane, le Christ (2005). She is not to be confused with the German sociologist of the same name.

Decorations

Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (2016)^[2]

Bibliography

Books in French

(2015) L'emploi est mort, vive le travail! (with Ariel Kyrou). ISBN 978-2-75550-746-1.
(2015) La société automatique: Tome 1, L'avenir du travail. ISBN 2-2136-8565-7.
(2013) Pharmacologie du Front national. ISBN 978-2-08-128461-6
(2012) Etats de choc: Bêtise et savoir au XXIe siècle. ISBN 2-7555-0645-8
(2012) L'école, le numérique et la société qui vient (with Philippe Meirieu & Denis Kambouchner). ISBN 2-7555-0644-X
(2010) Ce qui fait que la vie vaut la peine d'être vécue: De la pharmacologie. ISBN 2-08-122035-0
(2009) Pour une nouvelle critique de l'économie politique ISBN 2-7186-0797-1
(2009) Pour en Finir avec la Mécroissance. ISBN 2-08-122492-5
(2009) Faut-il interdire les écrans aux enfants? (with Serge Tisseron). ISBN 2-918414-12-3
(2008) Economie de l'hypermatériel et psychopouvoir. ISBN 2-84205-945-X
(2008) Prendre Soin: Tome 1, De la jeunesse et des générations. ISBN 2-08-120736-2
(2007) De la démocratie participative: Fondements et limites (with Marc Crépon). ISBN 2-7555-0033-6
(2007) Avril-22 : Ceux qui préfèrent ne pas (with Alain Jugnon, Alain Badiou & Michel Surya). ISBN 2-916492-31-3
(2006) Mécréance et Discrédit: Tome 2, Les sociétés incontrolables d'individus désaffectés. ISBN 2-7186-0706-8
(2006) Mécréance et Discrédit: Tome 3, L'esprit perdu du capitalisme. ISBN 2-7186-0715-7
(2006) Des pieds et des mains: Petite conférence sur l'homme et son désir de grandir. ISBN 2-227-47566-8
(2006) Le théâtre, le peuple, la passion (with Jean-Christophe Bailly & Denis Guénoun). ISBN 2-84681-170-9
(2006) La télécratie contre la Démocratie. ISBN 2-08-210569-5
(2006) Réenchanter le monde : La valeur esprit contre le populisme industriel (with Marc Crépon, George Collins & Catherine Perret). ISBN 2-08-210585-7
(2005) Constituer l'Europe: Tome 1, Dans un monde sans vergogne. ISBN 2-7186-0689-4
(2005) Constituer l'Europe: Tome 2, Le motif européen. ISBN 2-7186-0690-8
(2005) L'attente de l'inattendu. ISBN 2-9700474-8-9
(2004) De la misère symbolique: Tome 1, L'époque hyperindustrielle. ISBN 2-7186-0635-5
(2004) De la misère symbolique: Tome 2, La Catastrophè du sensible. ISBN 2-7186-0634-7
(2004) Philosopher par accident: Entretiens avec Elie During. ISBN 2-7186-0648-7
(2004) Mécréance et Discrédit: Tome 1, La décadence des démocraties industrielles. ISBN 2-7186-0660-6
(2003) Passer à l'acte. ISBN 2-7186-0616-9
(2003) Aimer, s'aimer, nous aimer: Du 11 septembre au 21 avril. ISBN 2-7186-0629-0
(2001) La technique et le temps. Tome 3: Le temps du cinéma et la question du mal-être. ISBN 2-7186-0563-4
(1996) La technique et le temps. Tome 2: La désorientation. ISBN 2-7186-0468-9
(1996) Échographies de la télévision. Entretiens filmés (with Jacques Derrida). ISBN 2-7186-0480-8
(1994) La technique et le temps. Tome 1: La faute d’Epiméthée. ISBN 2-7186-0440-9

Books in English

(2015) Automatic Society, Volume 1: The Future of Work (Cambridge: Polity Press).
(2015) Symbolic Misery, Volume 2: The Catastrophe of the Sensible (Cambridge: Polity Press).
(2015) States of Shock: Stupidity and Knowledge in the 21st Century (Cambridge: Polity Press). ISBN 0-7456-6494-6
(2014) Symbolic Misery, Volume 1: The Hyper-Industrial Epoch (Cambridge: Polity Press). ISBN 978-0-7456-5264-1 (hardcover) ISBN 978-0-7456-5265-8 (paperback)
(2014) The Re-Enchantment of the World: The Value of Spirit Against Industrial Populism (London and New York: Bloomsbury). ISBN 978-1-4411-6925-9
(2014) The Lost Spirit of Capitalism: Disbelief and Discredit, 3 (Cambridge: Polity Press). ISBN 978-0-7456-4814-9
(2013) What Makes Life Worth Living: On Pharmacology (Cambridge: Polity Press). ISBN 978-0-7456-6271-8
(2013) Uncontrollable Societies of Disaffected Individuals: Disbelief and Discredit, 2 (Cambridge: Polity Press). ISBN 0-7456-4812-6
(2011) The Decadence of Industrial Democracies: Disbelief and Discredit, 1 (Cambridge: Polity Press). ISBN 0-7456-4810-X
(2010) Taking Care of Youth and the Generations (Stanford: Stanford University Press). ISBN 0-8047-6273-2
(2010) For a New Critique of Political Economy (Cambridge: Polity Press). ISBN 978-0-7456-4804-0
(2010) Technics and Time, 3: Cinematic Time and the Question of Malaise (Stanford: Stanford University Press). ISBN 0-8047-6168-X
(2009) Technics and Time, 2: Disorientation (Stanford: Stanford University Press). ISBN 0-8047-3014-8
(2009) Acting Out (Stanford: Stanford University Press). ISBN 0-8047-5869-7
(2002) Echographies of Television: Filmed Interviews (Cambridge: Polity Press), with Jacques Derrida. Including Stiegler, "The Discrete Image." ISBN 0-7456-2036-1
(1998) Technics and Time, 1: The Fault of Epimetheus (Stanford: Stanford University Press). ISBN 978-0-8047-3041-9

Online texts

Other English translations

(2015) Ars and Organological Inventions in Societies of Hyper-Control", Leonardo (forthcoming: doi:10.1162/LEON_a_01080).
(2014) "Programs of the Improbable, Short Circuits of the Unheard-of," Diacritics 42: 70–108.
(2013) "Teleologics of the Snail, or the Errancies of the Equipped Self in a WiMax Network," in Ulrik Ekman (ed.), Throughout: Art and Culture Emerging with Ubiquitous Computing (Cambridge, MA & London: MIT Press): 479–92.
(2013) "The Indexing of Things," in Ulrik Ekman (ed.), Throughout: Art and Culture Emerging with Ubiquitous Computing (Cambridge, MA & London: MIT Press): 493–502.
(2013) "Doing and Saying Stupid Things in the Twentieth Century: Bêtise and Animality in Deleuze and Derrida," Angelaki 18: 159–74.
(2012) "Five Hundred Million Friends: The Pharmacology of Friendship," in Umbr(a): Technology, No. 1: 59-75.
(2011) "The Pharmacology of the Spirit," in Jane Elliott & Derek Attridge (eds.), Theory After 'Theory' (New York: Routledge): 294–310.
(2011) "The Tongue of the Eye: What 'Art History' Means," in Jacques Khalip & Robert Mitchell (eds.), Releasing the Image: From Literature to New Media (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011): 222–36.
(2010) "Bernard Stiegler's Pharmacy: A Conversation," Configurations 18 (3): 459–76.
(2010) "Knowledge, Care, and Trans-Individuation: An Interview with Bernard Stiegler," Cultural Politics 6: 150–70.
(2010) "Memory," in W. J. T. Mitchell & Mark B. N. Hansen (eds.), Critical Terms for Media Studies (Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press): 66–87.
(2010) "Telecracy Against Democracy," Cultural Politics 6: 171–80.
(2009) "The Magic Skin; or, The Franco-European Accident of Philosophy after Jacques Derrida," Qui Parle 18: 97–110.
(2009) "Teleologics of the Snail: The Errant Self Wired to a WiMax Network," Theory, Culture & Society 26 (2–3): 33–45.
(2009) "The Carnival of the New Screen: From Hegemony to Isonomy," in Pelle Snickars & Patrick Vonderau (eds.), The YouTube Reader (Stockholm: National Library of Sweden): 40–59.
(2007) "Technics, Media, Teleology: Interview with Bernard Stiegler," Theory, Culture & Society 24 (7–8): 334–41.
(2007) "Technoscience and Reproduction," Parallax 13 (4): 29–45.
(2007) "The True Price of Towering Capitalism: Bernard Stiegler Interviewed," Queen's Quarterly 114: 340–350.
(2006) “Anamnesis and Hypomnesis: The Memories of Desire,” in Louis Armand & Arthur Bradley (eds.), Technicity (Prague: Litteraria Pragensia): 15–41.
(2006) "Philosophising By Accident," Public 33: 98–107, an extract from Passer à l'acte.
(2003) "Technics of Decision: An Interview," Angelaki 8: 151–67.
(2002) "Transcendental Imagination in a Thousand Points," New Formations 46: 7–22.
(2001) "Derrida and Technology: Fidelity at the Limits of Deconstruction and the Prosthesis of Faith," in Tom Cohen (ed.), Jacques Derrida and the Humanities (Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press). ISBN 0-521-62565-3
(2001) "New Industrial Temporal Objects," in Rae Earnshaw, Richard Guedj, Andries van Dam, & John Vince (eds.), Frontiers of Human-Centred Computing, Online Communities and Virtual Environments (London: Springer-Verlag). ISBN 1-85233-238-7
(1998) "The Time of Cinema. On the 'New World' and 'Cultural Exception'," Tekhnema 4: 62–114.
(1996) "Persephone, Oedipus, Epimetheus," Tekhnema 3: 69-112.
(1993) "Questioning Technology and Time," Tekhnema 1: 31–44.

References

^ Benoît Dillet, Robert Porter, Iain Mackenzie (eds.), The Edinburgh Companion to Poststructuralism, Edinburgh University Press, 2013, ch. 23.
^ "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres janvier 2016"

External links

[1] Benoît Dillet, Robert Porter, Iain Mackenzie (eds.), The Edinburgh Companion to Poststructuralism, Edinburgh University Press, 2013, ch. 23.

[2] "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres janvier 2016"

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