The role of technological acceleration in the crisis of modernity: A view by Paul Virilio

Technological progress is often referred as parallel with the fight against totalitarian regimes. This affirmation overlooks the problems that the modern world faces. Although developed countries have a high standard of life, underdeveloped areas of the world suffer violence, starvation and lack of social structure, condemning billions of people to poverty and no future. If we want to review the relations between modernity, technology and totalitarian rule we should remember that for Freud, Nazism and Stalinism are not an unexpected guests of the Enlightenment, but a consequence of modernity, the moments when the essence of modernity is exposed in its purest form. The French architect, town planner, and thinker Paul Virilio, has studied the lighting war (blitzkrieg) tactics of the 1930s, and shows how its essence has been moved to every area of modern life. Today no event is organized in the world of business, politics, art, marketing, etc. without a previous `campaign launch' with the intention of maximizing the `effect' of mobilization. With this in mind, this article will study how valid his thinking has been to the understanding of the all pervading presence of speed and speed technologies in modern life and their effects.