Reading Vibrant Matter

As I try to juggle a thousand responsibilities, I have decided to up the ante and partake in my first online reading group. A while back Adrian Ivakhiv over at Immanence announced his participation in a blog-based reading group of political theorist and philosopher Jane Bennett’s new book Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things (2010). With more than a few major projects underway I was initially going to pass on following along with the participants – consisting mostly of a cadre of academic philosophers and grad students in the tradition of continental philosophy (although I would consider Adrian’s work too eclectic to grouped under any particular umbrella). However with my recent endeavor to sketch out the rudiments of my own philosophical position came an increased an intense interest in fleshing out my thoughts as they intersect to relating literature in some of the newer philosophical trends. And with Bennett’s book buzzing around the Speculative Realism crowd, I decided as late as last week that I would read along with the group and participate as possible.

The schedule for the reading group is as follows:

Note: Peter Gratton over at Philosophy in a Time of Error has posted a very useful overview of the book, along with an interview with its author. Anyone interested in participating is invited to read these for a great introduction.

May 23-29
Host blog: Philosophy in a Time of Error
Under discussion: Preface & Chapter 1, "The Force of Things" (and overview/interview).

May 30-June 5
Host blog: Critical Animal (James Stanescu)
Under discussion: Chapters 2 and 3, "The Agency of Assemblages" and "Edible Matter."

June 6-12
Host blog: Naught Thought (Ben Woodard)
Under discussion: Chapters 4 and 5, "A Life of Matter" and "Neither Vitalism nor Mechanism."

June 13-19
Host blog: An und für sich (Anthony Paul Smith)
Under discussion: Chapters 6 and 7, "Stem Cells and the Culture of Life" and "Political Ecologies"

June 20-26
Host blog: Immanence (Adrian Ivakhiv)
Under discussion: Chapter 8, "Vitality and Self-interest," and the book as a whole (final overview)

With my copy of Bennett’s book gliding towards me down the major highways of the Canadian interior I wanted to let readers know what they can expect from this blog over the next month or so. For the next few weeks I interspersing my thoughts and discussions as it related to Bennett’s book and the reading group with a jumble of other short posts about oil spills, Thai politics and at least one post on drunken gorillas. Sound like fun? I hope so.

I invite all my readers, philosophically inclined or otherwise, to comment and/or follow-along with the collective reading and my other ramblings as they find time. I appreciate all my readers – and especially those of you who have no background whatsoever with the abstractions and wordy pontifications of philosophy or academic theory. Theory and conceptual design is only as relevant and practical as we apply it. I use intellectual activity to stimulate more conscious engagement with the world – as a tool rather than as a guide to ultimate truth. My hope is that readers with always jump into the fray with whenever comments, criticisms or questions that arise. You feedback is essential to whatever growth might actually occur.