The Obsolescence of the Human: AI, Nuclear Weapons, and the Philosophy of Günther Anders

About this episode

The episode explores the philosophical implications of feeling outclassed by our own creations, focusing on Günther Anders' work.

What does it mean to feel outclassed by your own creations? In this episode, host Craig is joined by Christopher John Müller, translator and co-editor of the new University of Minnesota Press edition of Günther Anders' The Obsolescence of the Human, and Penn State Philosophy Professor Nicholas de Warren, to explore the life and work of one of the twentieth century's most prescient and overlooked thinkers. Together, we unpack Anders' core concepts, including Promethean shame, the phantom world...

People in this episode

Host: Craig

Guests: Christopher John Müller, Nicholas de Warren

Topics covered

• AI
• nuclear weapons
• philosophy
• Günther Anders
• human obsolescence
• Promethean shame

Keywords

• AI
• nuclear weapons
• Günther Anders
• philosophy
• human obsolescence
• Promethean shame
• twentieth century thinkers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Minnesota Press, Penn State

Books & works: The Obsolescence of the Human

More episodes of Acid Horizon

• Trauma is a Time Machine: A Cinematic Primer with Kwasu D. Tembo · June 8, 2026 · 1h 19m
• Boards of Canada's 'Inferno': Top Tracks, Hidden Themes & Life After the Inferno Sessions · May 31, 2026 · 1h 17m
• Revolutionary Forgiveness: Beyond Moralism, Toward Liberation (with David Renton and Dr Hazel Croft) · May 24, 2026 · 52 min
• Bataille’s 'Guilty' Explained: Stuart Kendall on War, Time, and Instability (Full Episode Unlocked!) · May 17, 2026 · 1h 8m
• The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West with A.J.A. Woods · May 10, 2026 · 52 min
• David Foster Wallace & Mark Fisher: Irony, Sincerity, and Late Capitalism · April 29, 2026 · 1h 14m