Late Capitalism and the Scientific Image of Man. Technology, Cognition, and Culture

Abstract

The essay introduces Wilfrid Sellars’ conception of the scientific image of man against the backdrop of the cognitive malaise of the contemporary digital mediascape. It is argued that the emerging scientific understanding of cognition will not only help us to further diagnose the cognitive pathologies at work in late capitalism, but also will allow us to construct alternate techno-cultural scenarios untapping the potentialities of neurotechnology. This line of reasoning engages with Adorno and Horkheimer’s critique of Enlightenment reason on the basis of the recent work on nihilism, rationalism, and cognitive science by Ray Brassier and Thomas Metzinger. In particular, it argues that a speculative reconsideration of Enlightenment Prometheanism provides the critical context for unleashing the cognitive and technological potencies that late capitalism is currently inhibiting.