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Objects as Temporary Autonomous Zones

  • Timothy Morton (author)
Chapter of: continent. Year 1: A Selection of Issues 1.1–1.4(pp. 104–114)

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Metadata
TitleObjects as Temporary Autonomous Zones
ContributorTimothy Morton (author)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.21983/P3.0016.1.10
Landing pagehttps://punctumbooks.com/titles/continent-year-1/
Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
CopyrightMorton, Timothy
Publisherpunctum books
Published on2012-12-12
Long abstractAutonomy means that although something is part of something else, or related to it in some way, it has its own “law” or “tendency” (Greek, no-mos). In their book on life sciences, Medawar and Medawar state, “Organs and tissues [...] are composed of cells which [...] have a high measure of autonomy.” Autonomy also has ethical and political valences. De Grazia writes, “In Kant’s enormously influential moral philosophy, autonomy, or free-dom from the causal determinism of nature, became prominent in justifying the human use of animals.” One of the oldest uses of autonomy in English is a description of the French civil war from the late sixteenth century: “Others of the [...] rebellion entred in counsell, whether they ought to admit the King vpon reasonable conditions, specially hauing their autonomy.” Life, and in particular human life, and in particular human politics, is well served by the usages of autonomy. What about the rest of reality, however? Should it be thought of, if it’s even considered real and mind-independent, as pure stuff for the manipulation or decorative tastes of truly autonomous beings? We tend to think of things such as paperweights and iPhones as mere tools of human design and human use. To use them is to cause them to exist as fully and properly as they can. But according to Martin Heidegger, when a tool such as a paperweight is used, it disappears, or withdraws (Ent-zug). We are preoccupied with copying the page that the paperweight is holding down. We are concerned with an essay deadline, and the paper-weight simply disappears into this general project. If the paperweight slips, or if the iPhone freezes, we might notice it. All of a sudden it becomes vorhanden (present-at-hand) rather than zuhanden (ready-to-hand).
Page rangepp. 104–114
Print length11 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Contributors

Timothy Morton

(author)