PETER SLOTHERDYKE. TERROR FROM THE AIR

Focusing on the history of chemical weapons, Peter Sloterdijk traces the chronology of the 20th century from April 22, 1915, when gas was first used on the battlefield.

The essay “Terror from the Air” (2001) develops the thesis that modern warfare is not waged between combatants but for the destruction of the lifeworld of the opposing side, and that the combination of terrorism, industrial design, and environmental discovery most accurately characterize the contribution of the 20th century to the development of humanity.

A philosophical essay on the threat in the atmosphere touches on the history of Zyklon B gas, the bombing of Dresden, the dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the practices of surrealism, in particular Salvador Dali’s reports in a spacesuit, and touches on Kazimir Malevich’s “Black Square” and Marcel Duchamp’s “Air of Paris.”

Peter Sloterdijk's book continues a new series from ist publishing, which presents interdisciplinary studies on war and culture - warning books. Peter Sloterdijk's "Terror from the Air" has reached the finals of the "Textbook" nomination of the "Best Book Design - 2023" competition