Scholarly record

SIMONDON AND HEGEL'S SPECTRE. FREEDOM AND NECESSITY: THE INFLUENCE OF HEGELIANISM IN ONTOGENETIC THEORY AND IN SYSTEMS THEORY.

F. Striano

Abstract

In this paper I am going to investigate the influence of Hegelianism in process philosophical theories such as Simondon's Ontogenetic Theory or the dialectical shape assumed by the Systems Theory. First, I will outline the common points between Simondon's philosophy and the Systems Theory, with a particular reference to the concepts of «analogy» and «transduction». I intend to show how these notions lead their respective theories close to Hegel's idea of Being. Second, I will notice that both Simondon and systems theorists try to avoid the charge of Hegelianism in two different ways. While Systems Theory embraces Adorno's Negative Dialectics – in order not to suppress the contradiction in the synthesis –, Simondon tries to flee the “dialectical” label itself: he replaces the concept of contradiction with that of instability and imbalances of matter and potential energy, which are resolved in the individuation and in metastable equilibria. At this point, with a direct encounter with Hegel's texts, I will show how Simondon is fundamentally influenced by the Hegelian dialectics. This influence is evident in the individuation notion, in the concept of identity between Thought and Being, and in his theorization of transindividual (extremely similar to that of the Objective Spirit/Mind in Hegel's philosophy). Finally, I will highlight the main risk of this Hegelian perspective, namely that of considering individuals as mere excrescences of the Being, thus sacrificing the concepts of freedom and responsibility.

Publication details

Back to publication list