Barbarism

Barbarism represents acritique, from the perspective of Michel Henry's unique philosophy of life, ofthe increasing potential of science and technology to destroy the roots ofculture and the value of the individual human being. For Henry, barbarismis the result of a devaluation of human life and culture that can betraced back to the spread of quantification, the scientific method andtechnology over all aspects of modern life. The book develops a compellingcritique of capitalism, technology and education and provides a powerfulinsight into the political implications of Henry's work. It also opens up a newdialogue with other influential cultural critics, such as Marx, Husserl, and Heidegger.

 

First published in French in 1987, Barbarismaroused great interest as well as virulent criticism. Today the bookreveals what for Henry is a cruel reality: the tragic feeling of powerlessnessexperienced by the cultured person. Above all he argues for the importanceof returning to philosophy in order to analyse the root causes ofbarbarism in our world.