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I can't help but be reminded of a sentence by Theodor Adorno: Keineswegs weiß man bestimmt, wie die Fetischisierung der Technik in der individuellen Ps
by nsns 11y ago
I can't help but be reminded of a sentence by Theodor Adorno:
Keineswegs weiß man bestimmt, wie die Fetischisierung
der Technik in der individuellen Psychologie der
einzelnen Menschen sich durchsetzt, wo die Schwelle ist
zwischen einem rationalen Verhältnis zu ihr und jener
Überwertung, die schließlich dazu führt, daß einer, der
ein Zugsystem ausklügelt, das die Opfer möglichst
schnell und reibungslos nach Auschwitz bringt, darüber
vergißt, was in Auschwitz mit ihnen geschieht.[0]
In short: the fetishization of technology makes its creators forget for which purposes their wonderfully efficient tools will finally be put to use.
[0] Erziehung zur Mündigkeit, S. 91
- jacquesm 11y agoI think you missed an important bit in your translation. "We do not know how to determine how the technology fetish in individual people leads to the point at which a rational relationship changes into one of over-valuing, which eventually leads to someone designing a train system to get the victims as fast and smooth as possible to their destination in Auschwitz, but who forgets what it is that happens to them once they arrive there"
- tombrossman 11y agoThis is a good time to remind readers of this Upton Sinclair quote, too: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it".
- nsns 11y agoWell, I actually feel it concerns much more than simply money. The avant-garde - be it technological, artistic or intellectual - has always shown a tendency to join forces with the darkest of regimes during the early stages.
- TeMPOraL 11y agoI wonder if it isn't because the darkest regimes, when they're just starting, show the most promise for progress and positive changes. Didn't Nazis offer the Germans their wealth and their honor back, in the times they were most desperately in need of both? EDIT: But then again, fascination with "the other guys" is also a thing. See: the intellectual world of the West being in love with Soviet Union well into the Cold War. http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/08/11/book-review-chronicles-of-wasted-time/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/08/11/book-review-chronicles-...
- jacquesm 11y agoPopulists will claim to give you anything you want as long as you vote for them.
- TeMPOraL 11y agoTrue, but from what I remember from my history lessons, NSDAP was actually doing good on those promises. Which is something that rarely happens in politics.
- jacquesm 11y agoThat was more of a temporary thing right up until the point that the Nazi party abolished large chunks of the civil rights granted by the German Constitution in 1933. They made lots of promises that they never delivered on (or even planned to deliver on). One of the more interesting ones: http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/vw.htm http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/vw.htm
- TeMPOraL 11y agoThat was a really interesting story, thanks! Also, the very positive tone of the historical article was refreshing. I know it's pure propaganda, but still, we could use some positive articles in the news every once in a while.
- 11y ago