16 February 2020
London
Reading group: 5.30pm
For the latest reading group lead by Joanna Harrison at Almanac, inspired by the current exhibition, 'Aphrodisiac Review' by Anastasia Kolas, we will look at the introduction to 'Object-Oriented Ontology: A New Theory of Everything' by Graham Harman (2018) as the starting point for discussion.
Harman coined the term 'Object-Oriented Philosophy' in 1999 (shortened to 'OOO' and pronounced 'Triple O') and has since been developing his new philosophy as a way to consider the world through a non-anthropocentric view point. He explains that 'an object is anything which cannot be entirely reduced either to the components of which it is made or to the effects that it has on other things', and outlines 7 key principles for understanding and following OOO as a philosophical concept.
How can OOO help us to engage with important questions about ecology and the impact humans have had on the environment? If 'all objects must be given equal attention, whether they be human, non-human, natural, cultural, real or fictional', how can we look at the environment differently, in a way that enables us to see beyond the limitations of our human perspective in order to respect more – and be kinder to – the things around us?
To continue reading about OOO, please start with Chapter 1 'A New Theory of Everything'.
For further reference, and to expand the focus on ecology, please read the prologue to 'A Life of Plants: A Metaphysics of Mixture' by Emanuele Coccia (2019). In this book, a love-song to plants, Coccia points out that plants fall victim to an anthropocentric worldview, in fact, they are forgotten before all other lifeforms ('no one ever wanted to question the superiority of animal life over plant life'). However, Coccia also illuminates the fact that 'plants have transformed the world into the reality of breath': animals and humans breathe with plants, harmoniously connected by a single continuous breath.
Please click here to download the texts.
As always, reading is recommended but not essential.
The reading group will be accompanied by food and drinks. Suggested donation 5£.
The event is supported by Arts Council England Grants for the Arts.
Anastasia Kolas, Basement Betties’ Wednesdays, 2019, video, 10’14”