1 Illich and Convivial Philosophy

Under this heading are presented the general principles of conviviality, in the sense intended by Ivan Illich, as well as an introduction to the structure and purpose of this website.

This section's articles

6 Lee Felsenstein and the Convivial Computer
23 July 2007, by Administrator

Lee Felsenstein, one of early developers of the personal computer, had read Ivan Illich and was influenced by his vision of convivial tools. As stated in the Wikipedia article on Felsenstein:
Lee was influenced in his philosophy by the works of Ivan Illich, particularly "Tools for (...)
5 The Borremans Guide to Convivial Tools
22 July 2007, by Administrator

The theme of convivial tools is closely related to that of appropriate technology. E.F. Schumacher, the best known advocate of appropriate technology, published "Small is Beautiful" in 1972, the same year that Illich published "Tools for Conviviality". Both books present the case for an (...)
4 Illich foresees the Internet
20 July 2007, by Administrator

Ivan Illich was a visionary precursor of the digital revolution. Many of the principles that he advocated have been realised through the spread of the personal computer and the use of internet.
Illich criticised the present form of industrial society, but not technology itself. His thesis is (...)

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3 Illich’s book "Tools for Conviviality"
14 June 2007, by Administrator

Ivan Illich published "Tools for Conviviality" in 1973. The full text of the book can be found at the following link:
Tools for Conviviality
As mentioned on this site’s homepage, Illich’s ideas about convivial tools were long out of fashion. A striking illustration of this neglect was that the (...)
7 Historical Roots of Convivial Philosophy
11 June 2007, by Administrator

A Short History of the Criticism of Industrial Technology up to Illich
In the mid-1970s Ivan Illich presented his idea of "convivial tools" as an alternative to the system of "industrial tools," which he criticised. The principal roots of the ideas of "convivial tools" are thus to be found in (...)
2 Ivan Illich
11 June 2007, by Administrator

Early Life and Education
Ivan Illich was born in Vienna in 1926. His father, a Croatian civil engineer, was Roman Catholic, while his mother was from a Sephardic Jewish family. Illich was expelled from the Piaristengymnasium in Vienna by the occupying Nazis in 1941 because of his mother’s (...)
1 What are Convivial Tools?
4 June 2007, by Administrator

Convivial Tools according to Ivan Illich
The term "convivial tools" comes from Ivan Illich’s book "Tools for Conviviality," published in 1973.
Illich presented a radical critique of the existing system of industrial tools, which is oriented towards mass production for consumer society. He (...)

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