Revista Brasileira de Literatura Comparada (May 2023)
THE “TECHNIFICATION” OF THE “SOUL” AND THE BOMB: NOTES ON THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN GÜNTHER ANDERS AND CLAUDE EATHERLY
Abstract
Atomic explosions and radiation – the main fears during the Cold War, often depicted in literature and cinema – are the subject of this essay inspired by Burning conscience (1989; [1961]), a collection of letters exchanged between the philosopher Günther Anders and Claude Eatherly, one of the pilots responsible for the destruction of Hiroshima. I review reflections on the links between technology of war and mutations of the human “soul” proposed by Elsa Morante, João Guimarães Rosa, Albert Camus and Günther Anders, among others. The central part of my text focuses on the exchange of letters between Anders and Eatherly and analyzes stylistic and thematic characteristics of these texts. The final part of the essay proposes points of reflection (on nationalist rhetoric, the topic of war in education, testimonies of executioners and the theme of forgiveness) prompted by the reading of Burning Conscience.
