What about technology and sciences ? – Sylvain Fischer (R&D France)

Monday 13th July, 10.00-11.30 – Cerbère (France)

 

In the year 1637, René Descartes proposed a method for understanding the nature with the hope that humans can become « like masters and possessors of nature ».

The four next centuries generalized progressively the cartesian rationalism, even yielding to the attempt to reorganize the human societies through ideologies, at the same time we lived a strong technological rush.

We want here to address in a degrowth perspective :

• The real balance benefits/drawbacks of some technological innovations in our life, with the help of  authors like Ivan Illich.

• Do we need to run faster ? The different scenario for the technological rush : are we running to the paradise or to the big crash ?… following authors like Gabor, Ellul, Jarrige, Bonneuil. Do we want and how can we slow down ?

• A review of criticisms of the modern rationalism and scientific approaches.

• As part of the debate related to the attached reading, everyone is asked to imagine : what do I wish for my own life ? Do I want to live with more low-tech or high-tech ? To which activities do I desire to put my energy ?

 

Background reading material: Can Decreix. 2015. Rediscovering manual skills and peasantry for spreading degrowth happiness.