Biotechnics and politics
A genealogy of nonhuman technology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4392249 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Matthew Vollgraff (0000-0003-2013-2097, University of Basel, corresponding author), Marco Tamborini (0000-0001-7102-7479, Technische Universität Darmstadt) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 366-390 |
| Publication date | 2024-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | History of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0073-2753 • E-ISSN: 1753-8564 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00732753231187676 |
| PMID | 37768076 |
| OpenAlex | W4387115379 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
This article presents a new perspective on the intersection of technology, biology, and politics in modern Germany by examining the history of biotechnics, a nonanthropocentric concept of technology that was developed in German-speaking Europe from the 1870s to the 1930s. Biotechnics challenged the traditional view of technology as exclusively a human creation, arguing that nature itself could also be a source of technical innovations. Our study focuses on the contributions of Ernst Kapp, Raoul Heinrich Francé, and Alf Giessler, highlighting the gradual shift in political perspectives that influenced the merging of nature and technology in their respective visions of biotechnics. From Kapp's liberal radicalism to Francé's social organicism and ultimately to Giessler's totalitarian fascism, their writings increasingly vitalized technology by portraying it as a natural force independent from human influence. The history of biotechnics sheds light on previously unexplored aspects of debates surrounding the sciences and philosophy of technology in Germany, while also foreshadowing contemporary discussions on technocultural hybridity. As a genealogy of the idea of nonhuman technology, the article raises perturbing questions about the political implications of conflating nature and culture
Environmental ethics · Epistemology · German · Hybridity · Organicism · Political radicalism · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Vision · Anthropology · Bioethics and Human Rights Issues · Cybernetics and Technology in Society · History · Law · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 1.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |