Being in the world: technology and humanity

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To the German philosopher Martin Heidegger, technology was far more than just tools that people develop, but systems through which the world both reveals itself to us and shapes the way we see it. For instance, when Heidegger was writing his essay The Question Concerning Technology (1954) amid the acceleration of the globalised economy, he believed that we risked seeing the world only in terms of economic potential and efficiency – an undeveloped beach becomes no more than an opportunity to develop beachfront condos, for instance. He believed that, to prevent us from losing our humanity, we should look to artists, who represent another way of seeing – one that deepens our appreciation of the world rather than flattening it.

In this excerpt from his feature-length documentary Being in the World (2010), the Italian American director Tao Ruspoli explores Heidegger’s ideas on technology and humanity by speaking with philosophers and artists. This includes an expert juggler, a carpenter and a chef, as well as several jazz and flamenco musicians, discussing the lens on the world their craft offers them. Since the film’s release more than 15 years ago, its ideas feel even more pressing, as technologies have become ever more explicitly and minutely calibrated to shape our worldview, and as AI has raised important questions about reproducibility, decontextualisation and humanity in art.

This is the third excerpt from Being in the World to be featured on Aeon Video. You can watch the first excerpt here, the second excerpt here, and the film in its entirety here.

Director: Tao Ruspoli

Producers: Giancarlo Canavesio, Christopher Redlich

Composer: Isaac Sprintis

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