https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Simondon
English translations
- "Technical Mentality," trans. Arne De Boever, Parrhesia 07 (2009): 7–27 [1]Archived 20 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- "Techno Aesthetics," trans. Arne De Boever, Parrhesia 14 (2012): 1–8 [2].
- "Technical Individualization," in Joke Brouwer & Arjen Mulder (eds.), Interact or Die! Archived 30 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine (Rotterdam: NAi, 2007).
- "The Essence of Technicity," trans. Ninian Mellamphy, Dan Mellamphy & Nandita Biswas Mellamphy, Deleuze Studies 5 (11.11.2011): 406–424,[2].
- "The Genesis of the Individual," in Jonathan Crary & Sanford Kwinter (eds.), Incorporations (New York: Zone Books, 1992): 297–319.
- "The Position of the Problem of Ontogenesis," trans. Gregory Flanders, Parrhesia 07 (2009): 4–16. [3] Archived 20 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- "The Limits of Human Progress," trans Sean Cubitt, Cultural Politics, 8(2) (2010): 229–36.Cultural Politics, 8(2) (2010): 229–36
- Two Lessons on Animal and Man (Minneapolis: Univocal Publishing, 2012) [4].
- On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects (Minneapolis: Univocal Publishing, 2016) [5].
- Individuation in Light of Notions of Form and Information (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2020)[6]
- Also see the Online translations section (below) for unpublished translations.
Please introduce to me Gilbert Simondon (1924-1989) and the main points of his works, thanks. (ChatGPT, 2025-5-11)
Certainly. Gilbert Simondon (1924–1989) was a French philosopher whose influence has grown steadily in recent decades, especially in fields like philosophy of technology, ontology, media theory, and posthumanism. Though underrecognized in his lifetime, his works deeply influenced thinkers such as Gilles Deleuze, Bernard Stiegler, Bruno Latour, and Yuk Hui.
Let me offer a structured introduction:
1. Brief Biography
- Born in Saint-Étienne, France, in 1924.
- Trained in philosophy and engineering—his interdisciplinary formation shaped his original outlook.
- Taught in secondary schools and at the Sorbonne.
- Died in relative obscurity in 1989.
- His major works remained untranslated for years but have since become foundational in multiple theoretical disciplines.
2. Major Works
a)
L’individuation à la lumière des notions de forme et d’information
(Individuation in the Light of Notions of Form and Information, 1958)
This was his main philosophical thesis.
b)
Du mode d’existence des objets techniques
(On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects, 1958)
A separate dissertation submitted to meet academic requirements, now one of his most influential works.
3. Key Concepts and Main Points
A. Individuation as Ontogenesis
- Individuation is the process by which beings come into being—not something that has already happened.
- He critiques both substance metaphysics (fixed essences) and hylomorphism (form imposed on passive matter).
- The individual is not a stable, isolated entity, but always in becoming, always in relation to its milieu (environment).
Core idea:
“The individual is only a phase of a more fundamental process.”
This anticipates process philosophy, non-dualism, and relational ontologies.
B. Preindividual and Transindividual
- The preindividual is the reservoir of potential that precedes any stable form.
- The transindividual is the field of collective individuation: how individuals relate, co-form, and co-evolve with others.
- Subjectivity emerges not from a stable ego, but from transindividual relations.
This connects to later theories of collective becoming and post-psychoanalytic notions of the self.
C. Technical Objects and Technicity
In On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects, Simondon:
- Challenges the idea that machines are alien or dehumanizing.
- Argues that technical objects evolve, much like biological organisms, through a process of concretization—becoming more integrated and efficient.
- Emphasizes the need to understand the internal coherence of technological development, rather than imposing moralistic or instrumentalist views.
Key insight:
“Alienation does not come from machines, but from misunderstanding them.”
His approach inspired later media theory (e.g. Stiegler’s technogenesis), posthumanism, and cosmotechnics (Yuk Hui).
D. Information and Form
Simondon rethinks information not as mere data but as a structuring process—an ontological operator.
- He rejects the classical model of form + matter = object.
- Instead, he sees information as a metastable event—a trigger that resolves tensions in a system and initiates individuation.
This anticipates complex systems theory, cybernetics, and nonlinear causality.
E. Ethics and Aesthetics of Individuation
Though less explicitly discussed, Simondon’s thought carries strong ethical implications:
- To respect individuation means not to force beings into predefined categories.
- A more human-centered technology is possible through technical culture—a participatory understanding of machines.
He thus proposes an aesthetics of relation, where individuation includes an open-ended becoming-with others—human, technical, and natural.
4. Legacy and Influence
Simondon was a key influence on:
- Deleuze (Difference and Repetition, A Thousand Plateaus)—especially the concepts of becoming, preindividual, and multiplicity.
- Stiegler—who built his theory of technics and temporality upon Simondon’s work.
- Bruno Latour—particularly in actor-network theory and the agency of nonhumans.
- Yuk Hui—who extended Simondon’s ideas into the field of cosmotechnics, emphasizing technological pluralism.
5. Why He Matters Today
In an age of AI, algorithmic governance, and climate crisis, Simondon helps us:
- Move beyond the dualism of human vs machine.
- Rethink subjectivity as a co-individuating process.
- Envision a future where technics, nature, and culture are not opposed but co-evolve.
- Resist identity essentialism in favor of dynamic, in-process relational being.
Would you like a diagram showing Simondon’s individuation cycle (preindividual → individual → transindividual)? Or a comparison with Whitehead or Deleuze?
