Gilbert Simondon e Mikel Dufrenne sulla dimensione estetica degli oggetti tecnici

Abstract

In this article, I address the question of technical objects from an aesthetic perspective, with the aim of clarifying the role of human sensibility in the constitution of the technological world. I begin by examining Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy, focusing on the concepts of the transindividual, the magical universe, and aesthetic thought. In this context, I argue that technical objects must be understood from the perspective of their genesis, which in turn allows for an analysis of their relative autonomy. Simultaneously, I explore their origins in the magical world, showing how this necessitates attention to their aesthetic dimension. In the second part, I turn to Mikel Dufrenne’s phenomenology, engaging with his notion of the expressiveness of aesthetic objects and demonstrating how this expressive substratum characterizes experience as such. I argue that sentiment plays a crucial role in accessing the originary dimension of experience – specifically, in how aesthetic objects enable a renewed relationship with the world, one that resists reduction to technical structuring. In conclusion, I show how certain resonances between Simondon’s and Dufrenne’s philosophies support an understanding of the technical object that goes beyond mere functionality, revealing instead its integration into the natural world and its aesthetic significance.

In the second part, I turn to Mikel Dufrenne’s phenomenology, engaging with his notion of the expressiveness of aesthetic objects and demonstrating how this expressive substratum characterizes experience as such. I argue that sentiment plays a crucial role in accessing the originary dimension of experience – specifically, in how aesthetic objects enable a renewed relationship with the world, one that resists reduction to technical structuring.

In conclusion, I show how certain resonances between Simondon’s and Dufrenne’s philosophies support an understanding of the technical object that goes beyond mere functionality, revealing instead its integration into the natural world and its aesthetic significance.