L’orizzonte contemporaneo della fine del mondo. Lineamenti per una dialettica apocalisse/sopravvivenza

The aim of this article is to show how important is the idea of “apocalypse” in the present age and discuss if it is possible to develop any strategies of “survival”. After discussing some elements of de Martino’s thought about the temporal, psychopathological and political meaning of “apocalypse”, we’ll analyze the sense of Lars von Trier’s Melancholia as a symptom of the contemporary situation. After that, we’ll point out the importance of 11/9, the biggest and most shocking event of our time, debating the opinions of Baudrillard and Girard. Both thinkers consider 11/9 a fundamental event in order to understand the meaning of our time, Baudrillard debating the problem of our virtual society and Girard talking about the signs of a next “apocalypse”. Finally, we’ll try to introduce the concept of a “politics of survival”, such as it has been recently discussed by Didi-Huberman in his important book, Survivance des lucioles.