Scapegoat Architecture/Landscape/Political Economy Issue 03 Realism 40
Reviews
deconstruction), is it possible to you can download the book right now new empirico-transcendental spaces interview of this volume (20). discern a new philosophical practice for free from the publisher”? Books incommensurable with the capitalist Not only is there no theory of the today that would allow knowledge like The Speculative Turn support and socius” (181). In other words, SR is event, but much of the focus of SR of reality, untethered by human con- give credibility to what I hope will be so far insufficient for thinking politics. remains unconcerned with actual sciousness, discourse, culture, or pow- the future of academic publishing. This insufficiency is further supported politics, ethics, or art at all. With such er? The Speculative Turn assembles The Speculative Turn is organized by other realists: for Brassier, “there a large volume, it is a shame that this more than two dozen essays by many into five main thematic sections. The can be no ethics of radical immanence” lack could not more clearly be filled. of the key figures in present-day con- first section, “speculative realism re- (178), and for Hallward, SR even fails Why should anyone who is working on tinental philosophy on precisely this visited,” is composed of essays from to account for any “actual process of aesthetics, ethics, or politics find SR question. If you have heard the words the participants of the first Specula- transformation or development” (139). attractive or useful? Even if they agree “speculative realism” (SR) in passing tive Realism event held in 2007 at The fourth section on metaphysics is with its ontological convictions, what over the last four or so years and were Goldsmiths College, London: Graham quite strong and includes essays from consequences do they have? This will curious as to who the main theorists Harman, Iain Hamilton Grant, and Meillassoux, Laruelle, Levi Bryant, Bru- no doubt be one of the largest barri- of this new tradition are, what the Ray Brassier. Having followed the no Latour, Harman, and Steven Shaviro ers to establishing the coherency of main debates are about, and where published transcriptions of this confer- on what SR analyzes best: being and SR as more than an “interesting, but its main critics stand, this is the first ence in the third volume of the journal potentiality. The final section on sci- ultimately useless theoretical ven- book you need to own. Not only does Collapse, I found this first section ence is diverse, perhaps too diverse to ture” (165). If SR is defined only by The Speculative Turn: Continental The Speculative Turn provide a robust a great marker of how much these conclude anything in particular about its ontological commitment to some Materialism and Realism, Levi Bryant, (440 page!) introduction to this philo- thinkers have changed since then SR’s relationship to science beyond variety of realism, but remains too Nick Srnicek, and Graham Harman sophical debate, it marks a new turn in (Brassier now even rejects the name what the individual authors seem to radically divided in its methodology (eds.), re.press, 2011, 440 pp. contemporary continental philosophy Speculative Realism altogether). The have already been up to well before and theory of actuality, it will not be Reviewed by Thomas Nail that can no longer be ignored as a second section is devoted to Quentin anyone was talking about SR. intelligible as a new tradition. This is passing fad. Meillassoux’s book After Finitude The courage and boldness of The a particularly unfortunate dilemma What is speculative realism? Simply The lineup here is impressive. Among (2006) and includes (among other Speculative Turn in announcing a given that we are witnessing today put, it is the philosophical position the many contributors are: Alain Badiou, essays) a compelling critique of his break with the last 150 years of conti- the largest constellation of world-wide that there is a reality independent François Laruelle, Bruno Latour, Slavoj notion of a “virtual God,” by Adrian nental anti-realism is impressive, even revolutionary movements since the from human thought, language, and Žižek, Quentin Meillassoux, Isabelle Johnston. How Meillassoux remains exciting. However, when the editors 1960s. It is also possible, however, that culture. This may sound banal, since Stengers, Alberto Toscano, Peter Hall- committed to the absolute necessity compare this with the traditions of The Speculative Turn is an untimely it is so widely accepted as “common ward, Manuel DeLanda, Adrian John- of contingency (non-totality) and still phenomenology, structuralism, post- announcement: something which, at sense,” but this sort of argument ston, and John Protevi. With 25 contri- maintains the potentiality of God structuralism, post-modernism, and the moment, sounds absurd and insuf- has not been seriously made by phi- butions, this is perhaps one the most seems entirely inconsistent and gives deconstruction, one cannot help but ficient, but which in time will have al- losophers for a long time, and never extensive and diverse anthologies of the origins of SR a strange theological feel the inadequacy of SR. What con- ready been true. Even still, while philo- quite like this. In fact, most of the last continental philosophy of the last ten dimension that Johnston rejects. The stitutes a new philosophical tradition? sophical realism may be the necessary hundred or so years of philosophy has years. However, attention should also third section on politics is disappoint- There are too many characteristics condition for contemporary philoso- been explicitly directed at disabus- be directed to its method of publica- ing. It is clear that Speculative Realism to list here, but at least one of them phy to move forward, it is definitely ing us of this sort of “naïve” realism tion with re.press, an open-access has demonstrated “a notable absence is that it bears directly on the actual not yet the sufficient condition. × in favour of a vision of reality strictly publisher that publishes under a cre- so far when it comes to issues of sub- world in some fashion. Every philo- limited or mediated by human experi- ative commons license. In addition to jectivity and politics,” as Nick Srnicek sophical tradition has been able to ence, language, embodiment, social printing ‘real’ books available in stores says (165). However, in attempting rethink not only “what is,” but also Thomas Nail is a Post-Doctoral and political structures, etc. Lecturer in European Philoso- and online, open access titles are also to locate the implications of SR for how being is specifically distributed in phy at the University of Denver. After decades of post-Kantian available free of charge in digital form. politics, he concludes that realism art, love, ethics, and politics. In short, He is the author of Returning to philosophy (phenomenology, struc- How many book reviews can say, “if constitutes “the necessary, but not yet “there is no theory of the event in SR,” Revolution: Deleuze, Guattari, turalism, post-structuralism, and this review sounds interesting to you, sufficient, conditions for constructing as Alain Badiou says in the opening and Zapatismo (Edinburgh University Press, 2012).
Scapegoat Architecture/Landscape/Political Economy Issue 03 Realism 40