HOMO FABER: Pourquoi nous ne ferons rien pour l’environnement by Alain Papaux explores the idea that human beings are fundamentally homo faber — beings driven more by technical action and fabrication than by wisdom or restraint. Drawing on philosophy, mythology, environmental thought, and psychoanalysis, Papaux argues that humanity’s dependence on technology is not accidental but intrinsic to human existence. Through the myths of Prometheus and Epimetheus, he describes human beings as technically gifted yet profoundly incomplete creatures, compelled to create artificial worlds in order to survive. In the Anthropocene, however, this technical expansion has reached planetary scale, producing environmental destruction, social fragmentation, and an increasingly artificial relationship with the biosphere.
In his review, Luc Magnenat reflects on the psychoanalytic implications of Papaux’s argument, particularly the tension between human creativity, denial, and destructiveness. The review examines how technological omnipotence, digital immersion, and the refusal of limits may function as expressions of collective psychological defences against vulnerability, finitude, and ecological reality. At the same time, the book points toward the possibility of a more reflective relationship with the biosphere — one grounded in humility, interdependence, and an acceptance of human limits. The work offers a profound interdisciplinary reflection on technology, environmental crisis, and the psychological challenges of living in the Anthropocene.