Andrea Cengia e Massimiliano Tomba
Andrea Cengia – Università degli studi di Padova (andrea.cengia@unipd.it; ORCID: 0000-0002-8992-3244); Massimiliano Tomba – University of California, Santa Cruz (mtomba@ucsc.edu; ORCID: 0000-0003-4116-061x).
History, Science, and Materialism: Rethinking Franz Borkenau
Abstract: This article offers a self-reflexive exploration of materialist critique, building upon the groundwork laid by Franz Borkenau in the realms of scientific innovation, technological evolution, and the corresponding formation of worldviews. Drawing from the theoretical frameworks of Marx and Borkenau, this study examines how specific worldviews emerge through the modification of daily experiences mediated by technology. Central to this investigation is an exploration of the differences between scientific paradigms, analyzing their intersection through both synchronic and diachronic dimensions. This inquiry explores the coexistence of diverse paradigms over time while considering the simultaneous presence of various technologies, modes of production, and social relations within contemporary society. Our analysis refrains from privileging the latest paradigm or newest technology, instead focusing on their interplay and mutual implications. Just as Borkenau investigated the agonistic birth of the modern worldview in the age of manufacture, this article aims to contribute to the critical understating of the contemporary worldview in the age of new technologies.
Keywords: Innovation; Technology; Science; History; Materialism; Borkenau.