La propuesta de Iván Illich: una filosofía crítica y radical de la tecnología

Abstract

Considered to be an anarcho-humanist or anarcho-Christian, Iván Illich has stood out for his ideas on ecology, deschooling, and communal organization. However, this article argues that he is an intellectual who formulates his own philosophy on technology, which focuses on the criticism of industrialization, the discourse of modernity, and the imaginaries of economic progress. To understand the illichian proposal, this research exposes a genealogy of Illich’s thought, linking him with authors such as Karl Polanyi, Lewis Mumford, Jacques Ellul, André Gorz, Langdon Winner, or Serge Latouche. Subsequently, the study relates Illich with Christian theology, considering how, in his thought, modern technology is comparable to sin because it destroys nature, alienates consciences, exploits labor force, and causes an excessive expenditure of energy and natural resources. Later, central concepts for Illich’s philosophical project are addressed, such as scientia, convivial tool, conviviality, and degrowth. Likewise, this research exposes the alternatives to environmental devastation and inequality in Illich’s work, emphasizing his concern for equalitarian societies with communitarian or emancipatory technologies. The article closes with a discussion on the validity of the illichian premises for the 21st century and a call for the epimetheic condition: to take care of our environments and others.