Speed and Politics, new editionWith this book Paul Virilio inaugurated the new science whose object of study is the "dromocratic" revolution. Speed and Politics (first published in France in 1977) is the matrix of Virilio's entire work. Building on the works of Morand, Marinetti, and McLuhan, Virilio presents a vision more radically political than that of any of his French contemporaries: speed as the engine of destruction. Speed and Politics presents a topological account of the entire history of humanity, honing in on the technological advances made possible through the militarization of society. Paralleling Heidegger's account of technology, Virilio's vision sees speed—not class or wealth—as the primary force shaping civilization. In this "technical vitalism," multiple projectiles—inert fortresses and bunkers, the "metabolic bodies" of soldiers, transport vessels, and now information and computer technology—are launched in a permanent assault on the world and on human nature. Written at a lightning-fast pace, Virilio's landmark book is a split-second, overwhelming look at how humanity's motivity has shaped the way we function today, and what might come of it. |
From inside the book
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... mobile mass of assailants ) , to transform it and finally to return it in a more appropriate form . " Reorganized according to the same principle , the communal fortress remaines a “ field of strategems " set for the adversary . But the ...
... pro- portions . At the same time , they will notice a necessary evolution of the hospices that will recreate the unity of the mobile proletariat , as Doctor Wasserthur notes in his report of June 10 , 102 / Speed and Politics.
... mobile mass of will- less bodies since time immemorial : the worker granted conditional freedom by the Chapelier Law during the French Revolution ; the cloistered body of the woman , put in a harem or brothel ( “ maison close " ) , her ...
Contents
THE DROMOCRATIC REVOLUTION | 27 |
From Highway Right to State Right | 49 |
Practical War | 73 |
Copyright | |
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