Marx, Penseur de La Technique

The originality of Kostas Axelos’ book, Marx penseur de la technique, first published in 1969, and which constituted his doctoral thesis, had provoked some lively debate when presented at the Sorbonne in 1959. Today, Karl Marx’s thought calls for a “different” sort of reading: the incisive and original one given by young Axelos having distinguished in Marx’s work (apart from his doctrinal interpretations and any ideological manipulation) a beyond-relevant thought having as its point of departure humanity and the technological development of productive forces which are the actual basis of all human development. “Marx is first and foremost a technician of the analysis of alienation accompanying the rapid expansion of technology. […] Technology, the secret behind modernity which assumes diverse forms, is also at work in Marx’s writings, while the Marxian effort is aimed solely at a dis-alienated and total deployment of the power of technology.” Hasn’t the concept of thought and reality, and of awareness and the world constantly emerged in the past and continued to do so today? Countless questions are being raised which the author does not hesitate to address. Beyond Marx and Marxism, Kostas Axelos’ approach, which truly seems very timely to us, strives to help us achieve a better understanding of global technology. Kostas Axelos had worked tirelessly throughout his life to promote this open, multi-dimensional, planetary, challenging and enigmatic new thought.