Atmospheric foam technologies. On the concept of human island in Sloterdijk’s thought

Abstract

The concept of the anthropogenic island or intelligent island is discussed, taking on various forms in Sloterdijk’s work, such as the cosmonaut, the acrobat, or the ascetic, but also that of the soldier with a gas mask. In the era of atmoterrorism, human islands would primarily rely on climate control technologies derived from the prototypes of absolute islands and atmospheric islands (the other two models described by the German philosopher). This technological integration would essentially represent the synthesis of asceticism and immunization. In this sense, both extremes, ultratechnology and nature, appear to condense the pre-Adamic purpose and Promethean hints of constructing a lifeworld machine within the notion of the human island.