- Paperback: 96 pages
- Publisher: Verso Press USA (Sep 3 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1859844162
- ISBN-13: 978-1859844168
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 11.1 x 0.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 118 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #609,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
How would it be if what we take for human advance were simply a technological progress that literally leaves us out of its equations? What if Progress is not humanity striking out bravely towards the future, but an ultimately destructive force?
In a remarkable tour d'horizon, Paul Virilio paints a bleak picture of current scientific, cultural, social and political values. Art has succumbed to the techniques of advertising and in politics, the battle for hearts and minds has become a mere convergence of opinion. TV ratings have triumphed over universal suffrage. The events of September 11 reflect both the manipulation of a global sub-proletariat and the delusions of an élite of rich students and technicians who resemble the 'suicidal members of the Heaven's Gate cybersect'. And, in this post-humanist dystopia, we are morally rudderless before the threat of biological manipulations as yet undreamt.
About the series: Appearing on the first anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, these series of books from Verso present analyses of the United States, the media, and the events surrounding September 11 by Europe's most stimulating and provocative philosophers. Probing beneath the level of TV commentary, political and cultural orthodoxies, and 'rent-a-quote' punditry, Baudrillard, Virilio, and Zizek offer three highly original and readable accounts that serve as fascinating introductions to the direction of their respective projects, and as insightful critiques of the unfolding events. This series seeks to comprehend the philosophical meaning of September 11 and will leave untouched none of the prevailing views currently propagated.
About the Author
Paul Virilio was made director of the École spéciale d'architecture in Paris in 1975. He has written sixteen books including War and Cinema, Open Sky, and The Information Bomb.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Dystopia USA
Jun 26 2003
Format:Paperback
Incomprehensible to most Americans, this expressionist poem explains why terrorism is the new world order; a brilliant analysis of the superpower syndrome, dirge for the global glutton. An apt companion work is Emmanuel Todd's L'Apres Empire, translation due February 2004.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Cashing In on 9/11
Jun 17 2003
Format:Paperback
A sloppily argued, near-incomprehensible exercise in nostalgia, nihilism, and name-dropping. This book has almost no explicit connection to the events of 9/11 or the titular "Ground Zero." Virilio may be right about the dangers of modernity, but his argument is superficial. Be sure to read translator Chris Turner's footnotes.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Dystopia USA
Jun 26 2003
Format:Paperback
Incomprehensible to most Americans, this expressionist poem explains why terrorism is the new world order; a brilliant analysis of the superpower syndrome, dirge for the global glutton. An apt companion work is Emmanuel Todd's L'Apres Empire, translation due February 2004.
5 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Cashing In on 9/11
Jun 17 2003
Format:Paperback
A sloppily argued, near-incomprehensible exercise in nostalgia, nihilism, and name-dropping. This book has almost no explicit connection to the events of 9/11 or the titular "Ground Zero." Virilio may be right about the dangers of modernity, but his argument is superficial. Be sure to read translator Chris Turner's footnotes.
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