Terror from the air | Peter Sloterdijk

In his philosophical essay "Terror from the Air" ( 2001 ), German thinker Peter Sloterdijk analyzes the history of chemical weapons and the changing nature of warfare in the 20th century. He suggests considering April 22, 1915—the day of the first use of chemical weapons in World War I—as the true starting point of the century of terror.

Sloterdijk argues that modern warfare is not about destroying the enemy as a combatant, but about destroying their lifeworld. He examines the impact of gas attacks, bombings, and nuclear strikes and their role in shaping a new era of terror.

📌 Main topics of the book:

• Chemical weapons and their role in military conflicts of the 20th century
• Total war as the destruction of the enemy's habitat
• The history of Zyklon B, the bombing of Dresden, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Symbolism in culture: Malevich's Black Square, Duchamp's Air of Paris, Salvador Dali's surrealist practices

📖 Context and meaning
The book is part of the warning books series from ist publishing, which explores the connections between war and culture. "Terror from the Air" was a finalist in the "Textbook" category of the "Best Book Design - 2023" competition.

This essay is a powerful analysis of the modern age, in which terror, technology, and design are transformed into mechanisms of control and destruction.