The convertibility between weapons and tools, emphasizing their shared technical sphere and the role of assemblages in determining their function. Here are key examples:
1. Historical Overlap Between Weapons and Tools
- Agricultural Implements and Weapons: For ages, tools like axes and plows were indistinguishable from weapons. The same object could be used for farming or combat, depending on the assemblage it was part of.
- Percussion Tools: Andre Leroi-Gourhan noted that types of percussion (e.g., hammers) are found on both sides, serving as tools for crafting or weapons for striking.
2. Assemblages Define Function
- Hoplite Weapons: The two-handled shield and other hoplite weapons existed only within the phalanx assemblage, which transformed their function into tools of organized combat.
- Heavy Plow: The heavy plow became a specific tool only within agricultural assemblages that included communal economies, triennial crop rotation, and the use of horses instead of oxen.
3. Revolutionary Conversions
- Hussite Wars: Peasants converted oxcarts into mobile fortresses armed with portable cannons, blending tools of agriculture with weapons of war.
- Worker-Soldier Alliances: In revolutions, workers and soldiers often reinvent tools and weapons, creating hybrid objects that serve both resistance and counterattack.
4. Martial Arts and Weapon "Unuse"
- Martial Arts: Weapons in martial arts are subordinated to speed and mental discipline, often "unused" to cultivate affects and counterattacks. This demonstrates how weapons can transcend their destructive function and become tools for personal mastery.
5. Metallurgy and Ornamentation
- Metalworking: Nomadic smiths linked metalworking to both tools and weapons. For example, swords and jewelry were crafted with similar techniques, emphasizing mobility and expression rather than work or gravity.
Conclusion
The convertibility between weapons and tools lies in their shared technical sphere and the assemblages that define their use. A plow can become a weapon, and a sword can serve as a ceremonial tool, depending on the social, economic, or military context. This fluidity highlights the adaptability of technical objects and their role in shaping human activity.
