Stiegler Contra Robinson

On the hyper-solicitation of youth

Bibliographic Data

ID8856554
AuthorsJoff P N Bradley (0000-0002-1036-2246, Teikyo University, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume47
Issue10
Pages1023-1038
Publication date2015-04-24
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducational Philosophy and Theory (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0013-1857 • E-ISSN: 1469-5812
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00131857.2015.1035221
OpenAlexW1994402924
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited17

This paper examines the affective disorders plaguing many young people and the problem of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in particular. It aims to define the limits of the critique of British educationalist Sir Ken Robinson in terms of his philosophy of 'creativity' through a consideration of the ideas of French philosopher Bernard Stiegler, especially the notions of 'industrial temporal objects' and stupidity (bêtise). It makes the case for adopting elements of each distinct research paradigm as a prolegomena to forging a social critique of capitalist-dominated, market-led educational institutions. The former, it will be seen, identifies some of the problems facing teachers in terms of the use and application of technology, the false divide between arts and the humanities, but falls short of explaining the root of the structural and psychic malaise in neo-liberal regimes regarding classroom breakdown in general. The latter, despite the apocalyptic tone of some his pronouncements provides an update and radicalization of Deleuze's societies of control thesis in terms of what Stiegler designates 'uncontrollable societies'. Stiegler, it will be seen, presents a critique of technology that is all the more pressing in an age in which the loss of expectation in the lives of young people can lead to a corresponding fall off or destruction in 'deep attention'. I want to test the hyperbole of Stiegler's assertion that young people today suffer from a 'colossal' attention deficit disorder of unprecedented scale and magnitude.Keywords: StieglerKen RobinsonADHDaddictionbêtisecapitalism Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.Notes1. For a commentary on the social problems of youth in Japan, see Allison (Citation2012, Citation2013).2. Hayles asks the question: 'How can the considerable benefits of deep attention be cultivated in a generation of students who prefer high levels of stimulation and have low thresholds for boredom?' See Hayles (Citation2007). In her work, which both Ken and Stiegler cite Hayles insists hyper attention is on the rise and correlates with an increasing exposure to, and desire for, stimulation. On this view, dyslexia and ADHD are the pedagogical pathologies of late capitalism.3. Kato et al. conclude their report as follows: 'Our case vignette survey indicates that the hikikomori syndrome, previously thought to exist only in Japan, is perceived by psychiatrists to exist in many other countries,' p. 1073.4. For further research on this see Saitō, T. (Saitō, Citation2003) Hikikomori bunkaron. Tōkyō: hatsubaimoto Kinokuniya Shoten. Hikikomori literally means pulling away. Hikikomori is a tearing away of consciousness from social life. Saito estimates the number of hikikomori to stand at around one million. Other accounts put the figure closer to 1.6 million. Government figures estimate the number of hikikomori at around 700,000, with an additional 1.55 million so-called semi-hikikomori. Moreover, it is estimated that there were about 847,000 NEETs in 2006 See 'Seven hundred thousand hikikomori', Yomiuri Shimbun, 24 July, Yomiuri Shimbun, Citation2010. Contrary to Scott Wilson's definition of hikikomori as middle-class Japanese youth, we not limit the phenomena to one class designation (Wilson, Citation2010).5. Hikikomori is a phenomenon not limited to Japan. Research has been undertaken in Hong Kong (Wong, Citation2009) on the presence of social withdrawal.6. Withdrawal perhaps is also an undergoing, a way of rebuilding depleted energies before a new surge of health. Perhaps the hikikomori have it right. Why be complicit with a society that is literally cracking up (kireru). Indeed, as an extreme strategy, Slavoj Žižek suggests that sometimes the most subversive thing may be to do nothing, to withdraw and 'step back into thinking'. Deep thinking about what is going on in society or self is certainly one powerful way of suspending subjectivity and experimenting with different subject formations, lines.7. Tateno, Park, Kato, Umene-Nakano, and Saito (Citation2012, p. 6) contend that their research indicates that hikikomori can potentially be explained by 'other underlying psychiatric disorders'.8. Anne Allison in her book Precarious Japan (Citation2013, p. 63) cites the case of the then 25-year Tomohiro Katō, a part-time worker, who wrote on a phone netsite 'I came to Akihabara because I wanted to kill people. I've come to hate society and am tired of life. Anyone is OK'. shortly before stabbing seven people to death in Akihabara, Tokyo, in June, 2007.9. While there is much profound insight and perception in Robinson's work, what is perhaps conspicuously missing in his oeuvre is an analysis of the assault on the senses by cinema, TV, and advertising billboards. Writing within the continental philosophical tradition, Virilio, for example, insists if attention is always elsewhere, permanently veering off course, then people are becoming more and more unable to form mental images without the aid of technical mnemonic aids (Virilio and Armitage, Citation2001, p. 118)

Assertion · Epistemology · Politics · Psychoanalysis · Radicalization · Sociology · Stupidity · The arts · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance

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