Archives mensuelles : juillet 2017

John David Ebert is an important theoretical voice, specialising in what he modestly calls « cultural criticism », but is really an imaginative discipline that he is creating as he goes, combining myth studies, Continental philosophy, and popular culture. Ebert once ironically … Lire la suite →

In my previous post I am basically reporting, but also reconstructing, Zizek’s position. As I report, Zizek does not reply explicitly to Johnston’s feasibility objection, but on my reconstruction there is an answer to be found in the text. Johnston … Lire la suite →

In section five of Chapter 1 of DISPARITIES, « Biology or quantum physics?« , Zizek takes on an impossible task, that of justifying « the priority of quantum physics » (page 39) in the explanation of emergent properties, in particular of the emergence of … Lire la suite →

Readers may see my blog as just more froth in the prevailing sea of philo-babble, but my goal is more democratic (and more pedagogical), and I have made quite a few enemies in trying to de-esotericise the philosophies I discuss. … Lire la suite →

Some people have expressed objections to my posts on Zizek’s DISPARITIES, against their style and utility, treating them as an acute case of post-modern psycho-babble. Here is the outline of a reply: « Psycho-babble »? No, definitely not. Maybe « philo-babble » would be … Lire la suite →

See storify here: https://storify.com/TerenceBlake/religiosus-invictus-or-deconvertus-interruptus-bru  

We have seen in many posts on this blog (e.g. here) that François Laruelle’s non-standard philosophy represents a significant advance over the naive absolutism that characterises « sufficient » philosophies, including Graham Harman’s idealist object-oriented philosophy and the diverse forms of scientism. … Lire la suite →

Stephen Mumford’s GLIMPSE OF LIGHT bears the Cartesian subtitle New Meditations on First Philosophy. In a reprise of Descartes’ MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY the book is organised in seven chapters comprising six « Meditations » and a seventh chapter « Objections and Replies ». … Lire la suite →

I am reading Stephen Mumford’s recently published novel GLIMPSE OF LIGHT: NEW MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY, and I will be live-blogging my impressions here. So far I have read the first two chapters. The book is well-written and clear, both … Lire la suite →

I have described François Laruelle’s non-philosophy as a particular variant of post-Althusserian thought maintaining intact key Althusserian notions such as the distinction between the real object and the theoretical object, and determination in the last instance. Graham Harman’s OOO is … Lire la suite →