The End of the World Designed with Men in Mind

According to D errida, the E uropean self‐understanding marking the name “ M an” is governed by eschatology and teleology. M an is that being on its way towards its proper end. The times of science seemed to K ant and others to be evidence of just such progress. For F reud, by contrast, the great scientific achievements of C opernicus, Darwin and F reud have cumulatively contributed a series of de‐centring blows to our “self‐love”. This paper explores the nature of great scientific achievements, and raises the possibility of a further devastating blow to M an, this time in the twentieth century, and connected to the name of M arx.