Abstract

According to Günther Anders, the description of the technical man requires an investigation of his changing conditions and of his transformation from producer into product which cannot be reduced to a form of «passivization». It rather corresponds to a change in his emotionality and sensitivity, as well as in his relationship to himself and the world. The purpose of this paper is to examine one of the main aspects of the emotionality of the technical man (the «promethean shame») and its connection with guilt and responsibility. It will thus highlight the peculiarity of Anders' thought, i.e. the impossibility to ground his critique of the technical system on the existence of a natural and authentic world, or on a pre-determined essence of the human being.