In the essay *Towards a Philosophy of Photography*, the prominent German media theorist Vilém Flusser (1920–1991) asks whether human freedom is possible within the information society—a world dominated by apparatuses, where our thoughts, feelings, desires, and actions are becoming mechanized. The photographer’s intent is confined to the strictly limited parameters of the camera’s program—a "black box" that simulates thought—resulting in the fusion of human and apparatus into a single entity. For Flusser, the philosophy of photography serves as a starting point for any reflection on the present and future of human existence; it aims to open up a space for the artist’s freedom—the freedom to play against the apparatus.
This edition includes an afterword by philosopher and cultural theorist Vitaly Kurennoy.