Notes on Human Artificiality: Herbert Simon’s and Vilém Flusser’s Contributions to Thinking Design Theory in the Anthropocene Epoch

This article seeks to contribute to the discussion of the status of the artificial and its importance for design theory, based on a critical dialogue around certain ideas of the philosopher Vilém Flusser and the theorist Herbert Simon. For this purpose, a review of bibliographical sources and the construction of a discussion framework were carried out, aimed at showing the advances that Flusser’s perspective on design and the artificial offers with respect to Simon’s approaches. This should receive the attention of contemporary reflections on Design, which becomes even more urgent given the complex conditions self-generated by human beings that are well described by the diagnoses of the Anthropocene. At a time when the horizon of the artificial has reached a planetary scale, urgent questions arise that challenge us as humanity and invite us to review certain paradigms, problems and traditional concepts of Design. In this context, we present background information and reflections that contribute to explore other perspectives on the preponderant role that design plays in the configuration of human beings and the world.