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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... tion of its catastrophic sinking , the internal combustion engine is itself the invention of greenhouse gases , the discoveries of genomic science also bring with them the latent horrors of a " genetic bomb , " and the comprehensive ...
... tion . These are the migrant workers , going from one populated area to another without being granted their land - clearing occupa- tion , except in Germany and perhaps in Champagne . This social surplus , so similar to the " fourth ...
... tion of the Selestat hospital , in which diseased soldiers and war- wounded sleep alongside typhus cases , cancer patients and the destitute . The social demands of the military proletariat will long remain the simple , vital ...
Contents
THE DROMOCRATIC REVOLUTION | 27 |
From Highway Right to State Right | 49 |
Practical War | 73 |
Copyright | |
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