Abstract

Gilbert Simondon: Information, Technology and Media is a comprehensive introduction to the work of the French philosopher Gilbert Simondon. In particular it examines Simondon's original informational ontology, as developed from a synthesis of Cybernetics, thermodynamics and French epistemology,

The book goes on to delineate the role this ontology plays in developing an original account of individuation in the physical, biological and psycho-social regimes. This is done, in part, through reading Simondon with and against other figures in these fields such as Merleau-Ponty and Stuart Kauffman.

Additionally, Mills explores Simondon's contribution to epistemology and invention, including an analysis of his important theories of the image-cycle and transindividuality. He also examines Simondon's influence on several contemporary thinkers, including Bernard Stiegler and Bruno Latour, before exploring the relevance of Simondon's work for theorising contemporary media technology.
The object of this remarkable book is as clear as it is relevant —to provide the English-speaking readership with a complete and objective presentation of Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy of individuation and technology. Gilbert Simondon: Information, Technology and Media is a truly innovative study, which shows how to rethink the concept of information in an increasingly complex socio-technological system.
Vincent K. Bontems, Director of the Atelier Simondon
Simon Mills is Senior Lecturer in New Media at De Montfort University.
Simon Mills’s book is a timely and valuable introduction to Gilbert Simondon’s theory of information and individuation. Despite the fact that Simondon’s philosophy is steadily gaining more attention and recognition worldwide, English translations have been slow in coming; this book thus fills a gap in the Anglophone scholarship and will surely be a helpful English resource for those interested in understanding Simondonian concepts and the significance of Simondon’s thought for Continental Philosophy and Media Studies.
Nandita Biswas Mellamphy, Associate Professor of Poitical Science, Western University