Sensible Prothesen

Medien der Wiederherstellung von Produktivität

Abstract

English abstract: The paper discusses to what extent prosthetic research in the 1920s can be interpreted as being related to specific modes of body politics: What are the concepts of the body and its movements in prosthetic research and engineering? How did prosthetic research itself contribute to the reworking of body-concepts, and does this involve a shift from disciplinary towards regulative and cybernetic approaches that include psychological considerations? The argument is developed with reference to contemporary examples that outline the astounding compatibility of economic and military body regimes. The article argues that biopolitical, governmental, and economic concerns are crucial features of the epistemology and the design of prostheses.