Postmodernity and the Routinization of Novelty: Heidegger on Boredom and Technology

Postmodernity is characterized by the routinization of novelty, evidenced in the drive for technological change that makes constant demands on and is constantly demanded by postmodern publics and elites. Martin Heidegger sees this technological drive as sustained by the basic mood of our times: profound boredom. Though Heidegger's analysis of moods, and particularly his account of boredom, have largely been ignored, his assessment of boredom provides critical insights into the dynamics and dangers of postmodernity. The connection between technology and boredom, Heidegger warns, undermines the practice of philosophy and the inherently political human task of discovering a home in the world.