LARUELLE’S DE-PHILOSOPHY (2): surplus scientism or noetic expansion

Laruelle’s method proceeds by stipulation and supplementation, rather than by dialogue demonstration. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as one is willing to admit that the propositions proferred are heuristic suggestions for further research rather than worked out positions.

Another technique is the extended metaphor treated as if it were a concept. Laruelle’s talk of “fractality” is silly and dated, it reads like a bad imitation of Baudrillard. The quantum metaphor is potentially more fruitful, but it does not do much work, except for valorising some rather vague qualities.

The « quantum » thought of Laruelle is the embodiment of his attempt to become not only non-philosophical, but also non-Laruellean. Unfortunately scientism cannot be overcome by even more scientism.

Any living conceptual creation coming out of the non-philosophical impetus would have to be non-Laruellean. Sadly, neither Laruelle himself nor the Laruelleans have welcomed or encouraged this development.

Laruelle’s own attempt at becoming non-Laruellean by the quantum is a failure, a form of surplus scientism intended to combat his primary scientism.The problem with Laruellean scientism is de-philosophisation, concept-blindness, intellectual vice (« suffisance ») disguised as its opposite, the reduction of noetic (spiritual, conceptual and imaginative) possibilities under the pretence of their expansion.

I still believe in the dream of non-philosophy, in the noetic expansion of philosophy and in an expanded and freer use of its materials. I just think that philosophers such as Deleuze, Badiou, Stiegler, Latour accomplish that expansion much more fully than Laruelle himself.

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