Technology and magic have long been considered opposites, with technology being associated with science and logic, and magic being associated with mysticism and supernatural powers. However, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition that technology and magic can coexist and even complement each other. Technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, usually to solve problems or improve efficiency. It encompasses a wide range of tools and techniques, from simple machines like the wheel to complex systems like artificial intelligence. Technology has revolutionized every aspect of human life, from communication and transportation to healthcare and entertainment. Magic, on the other hand, is often associated with the supernatural and mysterious.
To begin, Campagna’s idea of Technic is by no means new. It is the latest in a long line of theories of the technological society. Indeed, to a select few writers in the twentieth century, the emerging landscape of high modernity presented itself not as an immense collection of commodities but an immense collection of technologies. The new machinery of the factory elicited a whole host of theories, from Oswald Spengler’s Man and Technics (1931) and Lewis Mumford’s Technics and Civilization (1934) all the way through Heidegger’s influential writings on technology and beyond to the writings of Ellul, Herbert Marcuse, and even Hannah Arendt. It should come as no surprise that this conception of the technological society (generally associated with the older model of industrial machinery) has made a comeback in our own period of cybernetic and information technology. The recent flood of books on the topic, both popular and academic, attests to this. But Campagna’s book distinguishes itself by offering an alternative system to the one that we live with today. Rather than merely understand the world, Campagna wants to change it.
It should go without saying that the concept of technology can never exist in isolation; the very act of naming it requires one to distinguish it from that enigmatic something else to which it is opposed, be it the ever-problematic and highly ideological categories of the natural or the organic. The two are similar in that they are not forms of organized revolt, dissidence, or resistance in any recognizable sense, but more individual acts of inner disobedience, which, when accumulated and undertaken by a large population, can add up to a significant amount of power.
Magic, on the other hand, is often associated with the supernatural and mysterious. It involves rituals, spells, and the manipulation of natural and spiritual forces to achieve desired outcomes. While the existence of magic is debatable, it holds a significant place in various cultures and belief systems around the world.
Technic and Magic
We take for granted that only certain kind of things exist – electrons but not angels, passports but not nymphs. This is what we understand as 'reality'. But in fact, 'reality' varies with each era of the world, in turn shaping the field of what is possible to do, think and imagine. Our contemporary age has embraced a troubling and painful form of reality: Technic.
Under Technic, the foundations of reality begin to crumble, shrinking the field of the possible and freezing our lives in an anguished state of paralysis. Technic and Magic shows that the way out of the present deadlock lies much deeper than debates on politics or economics. By drawing from an array of Northern and Southern sources – spanning from Heidegger, Junger and Stirner's philosophies, through Pessoa's poetry, to Advaita Vedanta, Bhartrhari, Ibn Arabi, Suhrawardi and Mulla Sadra's theosophies – Magic is presented as an alternative system of reality to Technic. While Technic attempts to capture the world through an 'absolute language', Magic centres its reconstruction of the world around the notion of the 'ineffable' that lies at the heart of existence.
Technic and Magic is an original philosophical work, and a timely cultural intervention. It disturbs our understanding of the structure of reality, while restoring it in a new form. This is possibly the most radical act: if we wish to change our world, first we have to change the idea of 'reality' that defines it.
Technic and Magic is divided into two sections, split down the middle through a brief intermezzo. The book forms a mirror image of itself, where the first reality-setting described (our hegemonic episteme of Technic) is reflected in its opposite, the more wholesome cosmology that Campagna calls Magic. It is important to underscore that Technic does not describe technology—the objects and devices that make up the infrastructure of world—as an isolated concept per se, but, following Heidegger, names a sort of totality. Technic is, as Campagna sees it, the logic of our current system. This technical totality manifests itself in the degradations of lived experience in the advanced capitalist countries. The accumulation of such degradations (such as the rise of homo economicus, the objectification of subjectivity, the triumph of the quantitative over the qualitative, and so on) has resulted in a ‘crisis of imagination’. But for Campagna this is something like a spiritual crisis, one whose solution cannot be found with a mere political fix (both socialism and capitalism are beholden to the logic of Technic, according to Campagna) but requires a more subtle, interior shift within the subjects and citizens of Technic’s world.
Although technology and magic seem like two fundamentally different concepts, they both share some common goals and principles. Both are concerned with understanding and manipulating the world around us to achieve desired outcomes. Both also require knowledge, skills, and tools to be effective. In some ways, technology can be seen as a form of magic. Think about how many of the inventions and innovations we take for granted today would have seemed like magic to people in the past. From the invention of electricity to the development of the internet, technology has continuously pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible. On the other hand, magic can also be seen as a form of technology. The rituals, spells, and incantations used in magic are often based on centuries of knowledge and experimentation. They are like a set of instructions or algorithms that can be used to achieve specific outcomes. In recent years, there has been a trend towards blending technology and magic in various forms of entertainment and storytelling. For example, in fantasy video games and books, characters often use both magic and technology to achieve their goals. This fusion of two seemingly opposite forces creates a unique and captivating narrative. Furthermore, technology has also been used to enhance the practice of magic. For example, magicians now use sophisticated devices and gadgets to perform their illusions, creating a more immersive and awe-inspiring experience for the audience. In conclusion, technology and magic are not as different as they may seem at first glance. Both involve the understanding and manipulation of the world around us to achieve desired outcomes. Whether it's through complex systems and tools or rituals and spells, technology and magic share a common goal of pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible. By embracing both technology and magic, we can create new and exciting possibilities for the future..
Reviews for "The Ethical Implications of Technological Magic: Balancing Progress and Tradition"
1. John - 1 star - I was really disappointed with "Technic and majic". The story was confusing and hard to follow, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The writing style was very disjointed and the pacing was all over the place. Overall, it just felt like a jumbled mess and I couldn't wait for it to be over.
2. Maria - 2 stars - I had high expectations for "Technic and majic" based on the rave reviews, but I found it to be quite underwhelming. The world-building was interesting, but the execution fell flat. The plot was convoluted and the twists were predictable. I also had a hard time engaging with the characters, who felt one-dimensional and lacked development. Overall, I struggled to stay invested in the story and wouldn't recommend it.
3. Robert - 1 star - "Technic and majic" was a complete letdown for me. The writing was sloppy and riddled with grammatical errors, which made it difficult to get immersed in the story. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, and the pacing was painfully slow. The author tried to incorporate too many elements without fully developing any of them, resulting in a lackluster reading experience. I found myself struggling to finish the book, and I don't think I'll be picking up anything else by this author in the future.
4. Sarah - 2 stars - I had such high hopes for "Technic and majic", but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The concept had potential, but the execution was lacking. The writing style was repetitive and the dialogue felt stilted. The characters were difficult to connect with, and their actions often didn't make sense. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Overall, I found it to be a mediocre read that didn't live up to the hype.