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Are We Creating a “World Without Us”? : Global Responsibility and Annihilism in the Works of Günther Anders, Karl Jaspers, and Hans Jonas

Grelz, Astrid LU orcid (2025) In Existenz: An International Journal in Philosophy, Religion, Politics, and the Arts 20(1). p.37-43
Abstract
This essay argues that the concept of global responsibility, as articulated in the works of Karl Jaspers and Hans Jonas, was anticipated in Günther Anders' 1956 opus, Die Antiquiertheit des Menschen. By tracing the phases of Anders' negative anthropology—from his pathology of freedom to the Promethean differential and
his critique of what he considers to be an annihilistic Western stance—I examine the development of his ethical imperative and its possible influence on Jaspers' 1956 radio lecture on the atomic bomb and on Jonas' 1974 book, Philosophical Essays: From Ancient Creed to Technological Man. I conclude with remarks on the philosophical relevance of sketching this complex genealogy.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Günther Anders, Karl Jaspers, Hans Jonas, Responsibility, Annihilism, Promethean shame, responsibility, nnegative anthropology, nuclear ethics, imagination, moral phantasy, anxiety
in
Existenz: An International Journal in Philosophy, Religion, Politics, and the Arts
volume
20
issue
1
pages
7 pages
publisher
Karl Jaspers Society of North America
ISSN
1932-1066
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e4b0af10-bd30-4770-b9ab-a47d7c32b2e1
alternative location
https://existenz.us/volumes/Vol.20-1Grelz.pdf
https://existenz.us/volumes/Vol.20-1Grelz.html
date added to LUP
2026-04-16 10:14:29
date last changed
2026-05-06 12:55:29
@article{e4b0af10-bd30-4770-b9ab-a47d7c32b2e1,
  abstract     = {{This essay argues that the concept of global responsibility, as articulated in the works of Karl Jaspers and Hans Jonas, was anticipated in Günther Anders' 1956 opus, Die Antiquiertheit des Menschen. By tracing the phases of Anders' negative anthropology—from his pathology of freedom to the Promethean differential and<br/>his critique of what he considers to be an annihilistic Western stance—I examine the development of his ethical imperative and its possible influence on Jaspers' 1956 radio lecture on the atomic bomb and on Jonas' 1974 book, Philosophical Essays: From Ancient Creed to Technological Man. I conclude with remarks on the philosophical relevance of sketching this complex genealogy.}},
  author       = {{Grelz, Astrid}},
  issn         = {{1932-1066}},
  keywords     = {{Günther Anders; Karl Jaspers; Hans Jonas; Responsibility; Annihilism; Promethean shame; responsibility; nnegative anthropology; nuclear ethics; imagination; moral phantasy; anxiety}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{37--43}},
  publisher    = {{Karl Jaspers Society of North America}},
  series       = {{Existenz: An International Journal in Philosophy, Religion, Politics, and the Arts}},
  title        = {{Are We Creating a “World Without Us”? : Global Responsibility and Annihilism in the Works of Günther Anders, Karl Jaspers, and Hans Jonas}},
  url          = {{https://existenz.us/volumes/Vol.20-1Grelz.pdf}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}