Chapter 1, Jane Bennet, Vibrant-Matter

8/10/2019 Chapter 1, Jane Bennet, Vibrant-Matter

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chapter-1-jane-bennet-vibrant-matter 1/19

The Force f gs

he wke of Mch Foucaus dea '984. ere explosonof schoshp o the body d t soc costco. o e opertios

of opower Tese geeogc ( he Nezsce sese) studs ex-

osed thevos cropo d mopotc tehnques hough

wh the hum ody ws dscpied. ormazed. sped up d sowed

dow gedeed sexed atiozed goblzed. edeed dspobe

or ohewise comosed The sght to rve how pcces podce wh s epeeced e "au; b my heo

ss so nssted o the mrl cr of sh c produc

ons' ough gder for pe. cogeed bdy eec of

stoic orms ad repeitos ts sts a afct dos my

esy suscepbiy to h destdg reform. or coto The

poit t cut forms e themsevs powrfu me ssem·bges w rf o.

I what fHows, ] oo wi feure e egve powe or ecce

o higs Bu I wi so seek to ggt positve prdcve pwe of

he ow Ad. stead o OCUig coecves coceved pmy



cp

as conglomeats f designs d paccs ("discous), hghigh h aciv ol o m mal n puc . sho I

w y o gve voc o a ng-powe N W J TMcbe os ojcs

way hgs appe o a sjca s w a nme d

a gs or sopc empa..Tgs o er and, .

[sg] e mom we h ojc coms e O, w s

dn cn oks ack wn e me d spks w e sjc ex

pcs e oec ncnny and he ed o wa Foca

cs 'a meapyscs o oec o mo acy a meapyScs o a

v oeca dp om wch ojc se up owd sp

c owdg.

o o -

pnoza asces o odes a pec V: Eac g [s s a

c y t powe sves [conatur] prsvr n s

eg Conts ams acv mpso o edg edcy o

pss Aog pnoza dsgss m ody om o

ods y nog a t coss ong iv

y h gdac o so e oman ody ss w vy

hman ody a conave a nd ts a v appoprae o s

maa cngaon Coas mes a power pese eve ody

y g whaovr we e moe pc o ss prc

wys a o pss n esng w a se oce wry

gn o s so a hs spec gs q· Evn a g

son es pza s endag, as s o cone

s moon Nay Lvne oes poza conny sesss s

cn w hm d oe engs o n y d uman

engs n rm sepa mpm no mseves; y d no ve

commnd he mprm ae o wch ey re a p8

T da gpow ers a my smc o pnozas coa

s, s we as o wha Hy Davd Ta caed d a

ucny psec a m m n ocd wods d aop Mo

Kaadn nd so esdd n/as a mos cd raroad and

le ced s Gns Wdss w a o--ma rc a

added d ed hmn nd o ds I ned an dcly



f t 3

sge dimensio of matter, n -d ng-powe is lo k to whatH de ie i the contxt of polticl heology clled "the absoute

tngible and impondeable ecalcitnce? Though e abo' on eqated wi God epecialy in teooge emphasizigd opotece or radicl 1tey de Vies dees t moe opendy hat which tends to loose its es to eig cotes'· don mkes ense when we look at he emology ofs

( + s(to loosen). The abolute is that whch is nd

o te oose Whe, fo example a Caholic pret perfo he act ofabsjuri n, he i e vehie of a dive agey ht looes ins om ahmet to a picul ou: i now stad apt displaced liing a sange ipersoal ie o hi on We de espk of he solt, he s es to point to wat no speaer could�i see ht is a omethig hat i not a obje of kowledge

. [ deched o adcly ee om repreetao, d thu nohig No but the foce o eecvy of e dechmet, at is

D noon of he abolute, lke he ig-powe I wi ee tox sees to acowledge at wh refses to dioe comptey! lie o hum owedge But tee i lo a ieence iepsJ5 De Vrs conceie hs exteoy outside praly

eptemoloc liit i e peence of te bolute we cnot�(_ om hm king at he aboute ha detached; he

· naes e of ibi De Vress fomulation ug rr to humans kOwing bodies while tendg to oerook d what cn do. The noion of igpower aims stead to

e to he it s acnt I w possy to nme e momet of

ndpede om ubecvity) possed by things, a momet hatm e ere, ince hng do in ct ect ote bodie ehancig or�i her power I ll om th lguage of epitemology o ontolog om a focus o n eluive eccitce hog imece nd nscedece (he absolute) to ae otute-humn capaiousness (vbant maer) I ill t to

c o a viy ini to matey i the poces absolngmr om long history o attaet to automasm or mehaCu

srngelythigs at l rie up to meet ui his hapter at a pltic cap a spoo of hreade caacte a pecula-



pt

ve onto-soy_ The e hazads a accont of maeiiy. een ough

it bo oo ae and oo coe o ee cely nd een hogh ngicme poe adeqae o e k e soy hghgh he exet

o whch hman beng and hghood oveap he exe o whch he

ad he i sipside nto each other Oe moa of te toy s h we

e ao onhm d a hgs oo are ta payes he wod

The hope s ha he oy ehnce ecepvy o te mpson fe

hat sod d nes,wi geeae a moe sbe awaeess ofhe complicaed web of doan conecons bewee bodes, d

eabe we iereions io ha ecoogy

Thng-Pwr Debs

n a sny Tesday moig o4 Je te gae oe he om dn

to he Cheapake Bay n fot of Sam's Bages on Cod Spng Lae in

moe thee :

one lge me' ack pi wrk ve

one dse m of o polen

ne ubemihe e at

w lc oe c

oe moh sik o o

Gove poe a ap ckA I eoueed he iem hey shim

med ack ad foh bewee debi ad hgbween o he one

had su to goe exept isof a beokened huma acit (hewomans eo te iees oss te at-poisone uccess) d

on h othe had s ha commded aeon n i ow gh s

ese i eces of he soo h humn meanig hbs

o pojecs n he ecod mome s ebed it gpowe:

ssed cal een f did no qute ndestad wha i ws ayig A

te ey es t pooked aecs i me I w epeed by the dead (o

was meey seepg? a d dmayed by he e bu ao e

omeg ese namees awene of the mpossbe sguy of

tat tt congao of poe tohewie ey ba mass

poded pac waer-bote cap

I uck by wha Sephe ay Goud caled he "ecciaig com

pexyd icab of ohm bodes b n beg tk I



the oe o hings

T tat he apay o these bodes ws o escted o a psiv

b but so ncluded he abiliy o me ing happe, toouce eet We the maey o he gove, the at, he poe,

h ap nd the sk sted to shimmer ad pak t s pt

bG o he conget tleau that ey foed wh each oer

eet i e weaher th mong, wit me. For had e

n gnted o e black gove, I ght ot have see he rat; had no te I might ot ave oed e bte cap, d so oBu h�y ee l there just s hey wer d so I aught a glips of

egevtly insde eah o ese thigs, hgs hat I generyn ert sembage ojet apped thg that i

d not etely reduible to he ontxs in whch (uma)

ss e ever eiey exased by e semocs my

Ou e guter o Cold Sprg Le I gimpsed a ulue o

s d to the cuture o object I achieved for a momet

wTorl had made h fes oa: to be able s Toms Dumm

p h, to be sprised by wht we see"

ww oto an ecec outside w made possble by he

fmty o at ptcr ssembage but aso by a cer cpato

ress o my -side, by a perepu sle open to he appece o

gpo For I cme on e govepoe-ratap-s wi ToreaI myd who had enoaged me to pacte he dscipine of ook

Ig y what s to be seen" wih pnozs clm tha l ig

·r "m bet deet degees d Mace Meea

y osePhoolo o etio had dslosed or me "a m

en pe igcace i the iing ody [whc1 etends,

t l sesbe wold d whch had shown me how o geppd by the expeience o ou own body, wil discovei l oher

'obec e iale o xpressionI

A hlready oed the iems o the gound at day wer vbra

Y- e mome dsosing hemselves s dead s nd at the

s ve presce jk e t iet matter lve wie

e aser! ay how Amerin materim whch req g evercreg umbers o proucs prced ver

o yes is mately. e sheer volume of ommodies,

yeronsmpive ecessit of jnkng hm to mke oom for

ew conels e Vty o mate The Mols a te

ecen Toreau veoue of th New Jersey garbage



6

his ouside Manhaan, Robert Suvn descs e i ha per

sists r:e gbage s are ve. . ere e bions of mcroscopc og

isms vg undegond n dak, oge-ee commnes Afe

g igesed he es poon of letoe New Jersey or New Yor,

ese ces en he hge dergrod es of dode nd of

wa os ehe g s opca winds a seep og e

ground o feed e Meadowads' res or cee u ino e amosperewere ey ea ay a e ozone One ernoon I wed aong

e edge o a gaage a for-foo drin o coaced rash a

owed is oogrpy o e wse of he c of ewr . Tere ad een

e g foe so ws long efore I fond a le eacae see

a ac ooze cg down e soe of e h espesso of ree. In a

f os s seam wod d i way dow no e . grodwaer ofe eadowds; i wod mge w oxc sreas B s o

en ee a i br s e see wa e poon, a pse sew

of o d gese of ide d ase of cad co coer

ead nick se ecury ad nc I oched ts dy ger

w a l ce cooran wa war esh. A ew yds .

wee he sea coeced no a ezne·scened oo a ad am

o17

Suian rmds s hat a i maey c r e be hrow

"away for coes is aivie ee a discdd or uwaned

commo Fo Sa ha day, a for me o ha Jue mog, hg

ow s om a pe o ah No ow Powe or Bak Power, o

Gi Powe bu Pw he cuious aii o mae gs oamae, o ac o oduce eec dmic d e

TinPo II: Odcadk' Nonorn Lif

A

dd a, some oak poe, d a sc of wod soped mei

mac. B so dd h psic goe d oe a g-powe

ses om ods ogc w ogac In so o s co

eo Me De Landa oes how ee inorgc maer an el

ogz



theJorce oj ti 7

Inog ma-ngy a wd g o ns o gnaon

of su n us smpl s sos.

.

o wods, n umbs oms o m ad ngy av onal oself-oranzti

byond la sl ovd n o o sal T

o os on ws aJl solo w om ma

dn e o mas angng om owte (w y a

alld sunams) lss. Tn a sab s o aosw ssin ceent ctt. . Fnlly d nlk p

os �mpls o nonlna slgazon w u noon o

o [a] d ombons no w ns dd

om os oss ss on lss my

n Wn og s om o spnnou s gon

suggs tt ogan ma m mo b nd a an w

mgd. Ad s ng o ma's n avy ndstb

y cood nt ou nw mas losops8

I wll i caper o wesle ploopicly wt de of im

erson o ooc lie but ere I would lke o aw ateo o

a te rmatizatio of ti dea: o Odde e potgot o

Fz K o o "Caes of a l M" Odad o o

thead wo/at c u d la

ugh

; mte wood exece imeol fom of liy De Lda pe o a poeo cr

geerto" at ppes fo exple, whe ceca se t a

om-eqbium ate explcab cooe o ph of deveopme

ate n oe. Le hee s� me cogo

Odade ses e ie bewee e mer d tl le

o reo K aor obe gg Oddek o

oologcl ceoy Is Odde a c ict a ool o some o?

Perap, bu fso ppoe obcre ook e a !a rapedpoo o ead ad deed doe ee to e ed wod po

; to be se hese ae o old brokeo f e koed d

ged ogee ofe mos ied os d olos . . ' Oe temped

to bee a e creue oe d some o o elgible pe d

ow only boe-dow e Ye s doe o ee o be e; owee te edboe ace to gget

nyg ofe d e wole hg loos eles oug , b s

oway pefecy ed

O eaps Odaek moe sbjec obec ogc



8

ceate, a lie perso? Bu so his/er/i emodent seems rater

uarl: o e center of Odeks protude a s woodencossbar, ad by mes of aer rod . . nd oe o e poi of est te whole hng c sd uprgh s f o o legs.·

On e one and, Uke a actve orgnsm, Odradek ppes o movedelibeaely (he is extaordinriy le) nd o spek nelgbyHe lurk by urs i e gare, e srway, e lobies e entrce

l Ofen for monhs on ed he s not o be seen; then he has pesualy oved no oer houses but h ways comes faihuly ack toour ouse agn. My time wen yo go out of e door d he appes js o be eng diecty benea you agast te asers youfeel icled to spek o h. Of coe you put o dcult quesons tohm you reat im-he so dutve a yo cao help tahelike a chld Wel, whats yo ne' yo sk 'Odadek he saysd where do you ve? 'No abode he sy ad lags Ad ye,on te oe d like naimte obec, Oddek produced a socaled laughte ta " no ugs behnd it d sounds raher lke teng of flen leaves And a i usuy he ed of e coversaon.Even hese answers are not lays forcong oen he says mue ora long me, s wooden s hs appece"1

Woode ye lvely verb ye vegel lve ye ie Oddek is otogcly mule. He/i is a vi aeriliy d exibis a GilesDeleze h desci as e persiste "inf e mate i psd of te vegetle ans Te laeneteencent Russnscens Vadimi och Yernadsy who so reused ay shpdisncon beee e nd maer deed orgiss as specl, disibuted fo of he coo inel waer Emphszig heconuy of aey lfe and r�ck su s tha evdent in col or fossl limesone reefs eadky noted how ese apparenty nert saae aces of bygone iosphees Odadek exposes hs couty ofwaery lfe d ock; e/i rgs o e fore he becomig of higs

Thing-Power I Lgat

1 may hve me a reave of Odrade ile seing o a u, agn inltoe, for a m on for aeped ocide It ws a sgls i w a adhesivecoered el ld the powder esdue



he oe o hin 9

Sampler. Tbs ojec/ness bd een daed on e accused's hand

bos er he sboong d now oered o ry is mcroscopcedence and ad her red a gn or en n ree feet

of a gn ring Exper nesse sbowed e smpler o b y several

mes, and eac appernce execised moe oce, e

cme l o vdc is compose of gls sn cels gl wods

las mes nd man moos ad ecome ac c, rca]

s Bno Laors erm for a sorce of acon; an acan cn hman or

no o mos ikely a comnaon of o Lao denes s Osome-

ng a ac or o wic aciy s gaed y oers I pls no spe·

cal moaon o hmn nddl acors nor o m n gener"Z4

A acn s ne n oc no a sec neenz an

o e Delen qscas operao operao s a wc

y ie o pcl ocaion in a semage nd e oy of

beg rgb place a gb me, mkes e dence mesings appn ecomes e dec oce caaig een

Acn nd oeto are sse words fo wa a moe sec

ceeed vocay r called agens Agenc capac is now seen s

dereiy dsed across a der rge o onologc ypes s

dea s lso epessed n e noon of deodnd a ge of Engls law

om ao 2 nl ws aosbed n 86 n cses o accidenadea or j o a bmn he nonhman acant for mple e c

g ne a el ino m s o cage a rped e leg

oa pedesnecme deodd (eray a wbc ms e gen

Go") In rcogon o pea eca a powe a s less m

bn agency mor ac an eccrnce) deodad a

maeriaiy �sspnded een m and hng27 srrenderedo cro o e d (o sold) o compesae or e m done Ac

coig o Wm Pi y le ms esas some procedre

o ompnsaon epaon or pmen o ee e de ceaed

y nnended mn dea wbose drec case is no a morally ac

cole person a nonhman maer oec s was se

emad n plc dscorse y . law of deodndTee re of corse dierences eween the kfe a mpes nd

e mn mpd eween e ecnica who das e ampe and he

pe een e aay of ems n e ger of Cold png ne

m, naor o her y B I agee Jobn Frow a

hese encs need o e aned rad oonly s a jxapo-



10 cap

ion ae tha vetcy a earcy of beng. I a feae of ou

wold ha we c d do dguh . . hg om pero But e

so of wod we ve mke cotty posble o ee wo e of

kd to exchage popee.'" Ad o oe fc eplcy, whch

aso o beg o xp te elaohp bewee peo d oe

maele moe hozoly o tae a tep owad a moe ecolog

al eSby

ThgPor Wg, Tig M

Oadek a gupowde edue ampe ad ome juk o he ee

c be fcag o people d c hus eem to come alve But

t evecec a popey of the u o o people? Wa the thg

powe of he deb ecoeed bu a co of he ubectve deubecve cootao memoe d ec a had accuu

laed oud my de of thee em? Wa te e age o my empo

ay mmoblto o te ee that day m ha he clal

meang of a, plc ad wood couco wh my ow

doycac bogaphy t coud be But wha f the wamg acvy

de my head wa itself tace of the t maealy a ocoted the ah

have bee yg o e he olume o h� ty o mately

pe e pug h a o by focug on ohuma bode by

tha depcg em a act ahe obect Bu he cae

fo mat acve eed o to eadt the a of huma aca:

o by deyg humy aweome a powes bu by peenge powe a edece of o n couon a val maeay

ohe wo hu powe f a d of hg-owe A oe eve

h clam cooverl ey to acowedge ha hu

ae compoed of vaou mae ps (he mealty of o boe o

he metal of ou blood o the eectcy of ou eon) Bu moe

chlegg o coceve of tee maeal a ely d lfogzgathe a pave o mechcal mea ude the decto of

ometg omae ta actve ou o mnd.

Pehp he cm o a tay c o mte telf become moe

laUble f one ke a og vew of tme. f oe adopt e pepecve



te re fhg

of evolutony he hn biogaphca ime or exple a mel

ecac becomes vsble. Here is De Lnda's account of the emegeceoo bones: "So issue (gels and aeosos, mscle d eve) eiged

speme uil 000 milo yeas ago At hat poin some of the cn·

gomeaios of Beshy mate-enegy ha made p ife dewen a

sudden mierzato, d a ew mae fo coscig livig ea�

ues emeged be_ It s most s i te mieal wold that had seved

a substam fo he emegence of bioogicl ceaes w easet

ing iself_ Mielizato mes he ceaive ageny by wch boe

poduced nd boes then made ew foms of movement conol

possible mong nims eeig them om mny costs d lite

ly seng hem to moon to oque eve avalable niche i he ai

n wate nd on ld he log d sow ime of evoluio hen

miel matel appes s he move nd sher he aive powe nd

he hman eigs wh hei muchladed capaciy fo seldeced

acon apper ts podc Veadsk secods his view i his descipion of hmnknd a parcly potet of mnes What

sck [Veadsk] most w hat he maei o Erhs cs hs bee

pacged ito myad ovng bengs whose epco nd gowh

bild nd bek dow e o a goal scae People fo eple

edistute nd coceae oyge d obe elemens of hs

cst no wolegged prght foms hat have n mzng popens o

wde across dig to d ontless ohe ways le Ehs suface

W a waig aig mines."

K, D nda nd Vea suggest hat mn iddls e

emseves mposed of vta mas hat ou powes ae thng

powe These vtl mateist do ot clm ha here e o deecesbee humns and boes only hat ee is o ecessiy to descibe

hee dieeces in a way a places humans a he onologicl cete

or ecicl apex Hmai ca e disighed isead, as Jean

Foi yoad sgges s a prticuly ich d cmp colecio

f mateils Hmid is tke fo a comple maeil sytem; co

sco for eect of nguage d lgage fo a hghly compex ystem ichd Roy sllyde6nes hmns s ve om

ex mls ae hn s animas wih n exta added igedient

ced itellect o he ational sol

fe is hat fng o hm ieness suh vews



2 er

authze the teamen f peple mee ngi n her wds, ta

a tog dtn bewee subjecs d be s eeded pevenhe men hmas. Yes sh e bes

pssess a e pwe (as whe baea phmae

ea hsle smb pe sde he hm dy) d

ye, sme be-n-sbe becans ae pemssble when

pes nen se d be sed s a meas t sex plee) b

enoO

dvde beeen pesn d hng ms eman est nehae nmolgnds pvlegg mn ve gem ndemnng

pes m f hmn-nhman nmenan as whe

pweul h expl leg, p, yg hewse wee

hmas)

Hw an te v maes epnd t hs mp nen?

F, by acwledgng at te mewk bec vess be has

ndeed a mes wed t pee amelae hm seng nd t

pmte hm ppne welbeng Send by g ha s

ee me a he pe n menzan nhm ae

a ef be ne d n el ndemne g-em hm

nteess Td, by pnng t ha he Ka mpeave ea

hmy way s ednts and neve meey a a men de

nt hav a selr ed sess peg hman eg

pmg hma wellbeng: t s mpn ae the qetn

aa hst eay n de pen p sae ms eha

pate tha d ely pn e mage a nnly

de hngs Hee he maels speas pmtng hehy nd

enabng nsmenza, ae h eag peple end-n

hemsves bease e p t he mpd ate f he hmne s d dl even mke ene the t a gle

edtel Wha nsead appea s as ompeng ends eg

ped mney eah ndvdl sme wh e helhy

e whle, me whh e n Hee he v mel g a e

&m Nehe' nd pz" e, a phlOga ve m

desps bease she es ha msm se beme a se eeay hmn eng36

We e nw n a bee pstn nme ha e way t pme

hmn he nd happness o ie s o mer o w

we omoe Eah hmn a hetegee mpd wnde



t fo of gs '3

y vbrt, dgerouly vbrn mte. mte ief i ivey then

no ony is e derence beeen subjecs ad objec mnimzed bue t of he shed meai o hg eeed bodiebecome moe h mee obec he hng-pwe of esisce dproe gency ae bought no hap eef Via meiis wodtu set up d of fety net for oe hums who e now n wod whee Ki moiy i e adad ouney mde o ue

becue hey do no cono o pcu (Euro-Amerc bougeoheocenic O ohe) mode o peohood Te hc am becomeo dbute alue moe geneouy to be a such Such newondtentene o mer d t powe w not ove he probem ofhumn expoton o oppreion bu i c spie gete eeof he extent to which l bodie e k in he ene of nexicby

enmehed in dee neok of reons Ad in oted wod ofvb mer o hm one econ of e web my ey we be o hmone Suc eghened o epaded noton o e-iees god

o mans I wi ge her n chpe 8, i meim doeno reec elntere a movaon o ehca behor hough idoe ee o cive boder deion of ef d of nee

TgPow V: ThgPowr d Adoo Nod tt

B pehp the ve de o hingpowe o bra me c oomuch: o ow more h i possbe o ow o pu the sm in Thedo Adoo' em doe t exempf he oen hubs ofWeen phiosophy dion t coteny £ed to mnd hegp beween concep d ea obect d thng? For Adoo th gp inedcbe nd e mot ht c be ad wth condence bout thing i h t eude cpue by he concep h ere wys "nonident beeen it d ny epeenon And ye I shae een Adoo connue o eek wy o cce howee dkYIdey o eengyhi oide ne can deect ce of ongg n e foowng quoon om Ngav Dat Wh we myhe hng te i no poiey d mmedey hnd. He who o ko mut h moe no e37 Adono cey rejec heposbiy of y direc enuou ppehenion he hig e i no



'4 hapte

posiively and mmedaey a hnd"), b�f he does not reject modes

o encoune or there is 'one mode hnkng more no less tha hodspomise. In his secion I w expore some o the anites between

Adoos nonidenti nd my hng-powe nd, more genery etween

hs specic materilism (ND 203) and a vtl maerilism

Nniden s the nme Adoo gves o hat which is no sbject o

knowledge bu s insead heterogeneos o al concep. This esive

oce is not however wholy ousde hman expeience or Adornodescribes nonident as a presence hat acs pon s: we knowers re

haned he says by a pnl nagging eeing ha somehings being

orgoen or e ot. This dscoming sense o the inadeqacy o ep

resenation emains no mater how rened or nytc1y precise ones

conceps become egave diectics is he mehod Adono desigs

to each us how to aentae his dscomotng experience and howto give t a meanng When paciced correcy, negave diaecics wil

render he stac bzz o nonident nto a power reminde hat ob

jects do no go ino heir concepts wthot eavng a emainder ad

ths ha ie wil wys eceed or knowledge and conto The ehical

pojec p eceence s Adorno sees i s o keep rememerig

ad o earn how o accep i Ony then can we stop aging aginst awod tha reses o oer us he reconciemen tha we according to

Adorno cave N 5.38

For the via maeris however he srng poin o ethcs is less

the accepnce o he mpossibiiy o reconciemen nd moe he

recogniion o hmn participaon in a shred via maeriai. We ae

vl mateiaiy nd we re srrounded by i hogh we do not ways

see i hat way The ethic s a hand hee is to civae the abt

to discern nonhmn vit o become percepuay open o . In a

parle mnner Adoos specic maeriaism aso ecommends a set

o pracica echnes o trining onese to beter deec ad accept

noidenty. egaive dieccs s in other wods the pedagogy insde

Adornos maerism

This pedagogy includes nteec we aesheic execises The

ineecu practice consss in he aemp o me the very procss

o concepaizaion n eplici obec o hogh. The go here is to

ecome more cogznt ha concepizaton aomaicy obsces

he inadeqacy o i conceps. Adoo beeves ha criic reecion



he rce o ng 5

can eose his coakng mechism d at e eposue wi e

sf he ret pesence o odeiy. Te teamet is hoeopac: wemt deveop a concept of noideti to ce e ubis o cocept

izato Te teamet c wok because, oweve dsotig coceptssl "ee to ococepes his is because conceps o ei

pt ae momens o e ea ha eues te omao (ND 12)

Concept c nee pode a ce vew o gs emsees u

he dscmnatg ma who in he mate d ts cocept c t·

gsh even he intesa, that whic escapes e cocept (ND, 45)

ca do a bete job o gesg towad em. oe tat te dscm

ag m (adept at egave dectics) bo sbec s concepa

tons to second-ode eecto d pays cose esthetc ateto to

e obets qutave momens (D 3) o hese ope a wdo

oto nOndent.

A second echiue o he pedagogy is o execse oes uopia

magnaton The egave daecc sould imagnatvey e-ceate

wat s been obsced by e distoton o ocepiatio: e

men empoyed in egave diaectcs o he peeao o i d

eed obecs i possble posb o wc the e s

ceated he obecs d wc s oeeess vsble ea oe (D

2) onde esdes ose deed possibties te sbe

ed at suounds d ses e wold o obect

A td teciue s to admt a payfu eemet to oes thig

ad o be wng to play te oo e egve daecici ows ow

e emns om owng ode d ye e must aways t

sie ad ee Ts gs hm to e pot o owng He must

ot deny s cownsh ts lest o al snce hey oe c gve himope o wha s deied hm (D, 4).

The secicsm o conceptuaaio a sesoy atentveess to

e uave Sgutes o te obect te eecse o n ueistc

magnaton d he coage o a own by me o suc pacces

one mgt epace e "age agan ondent w a espect o t

a espect a hsens ou w o mtey That age s o Adoo hedvng foce bend euman acs of cety ad volece Adono

goes eve fte o sugges hat negave diectcs c tasmute e

gs o ondent ino a wi o aeoave potic acto: he

ng twat ou dese o concep d pactc maste ad s



16 cape 1

rsal ages s; but it aso oers s tical injcto, acodig

to which suig oght ot to tigs sod e de Woespks: 'Go Hc t covg of sp marsm wit t

sm wi socal chg p" (NO 202-3

Adoo fouds hs s o itlal d aesec attive

ss ta oug iways to se is ojct clealy vtlss

s sloy e o th ods ig o s Adoo wiligly plays

h foo y qestig r whatI

wold ll higpwr but wh h

ls ppode of t ojct (NO, 183) ums eotr a

word iwic om matles av pow a powe tat t

ogeois I" wi is ptnsios to aoomy dis It is a p tat Adoo ids gav datis as a matrsm i i

oy y passing to th objcs ppodra hat dccs is n

deed matalsti" (NO 92)

Adoo ds to m someg lik hgpw dos ot

wo play te ool olog i qictoo quik om he poit

of vew of te tal maiisto md he eadr at ojets

ways ed wh hma sjctivit d ta he as o desi to

pae e oet o t orphd oyl toe oe ocupd y e sub

t ta� oe e oje wod e oig t dol (NO 181)

Adoo s rlcat to say too mh ao oma lt or emo sad e mo t ds om vw vtless Adoo does ty

to attd somhow to s lsiv it y ms of a gatv da

ls ga dis t wt ga olog ga

e dialets oors ode o wold hoo a kowae

god Adoos spi matrilsm clds h possilit ta e

is di d o wi rl at wdaw Adoo csay ai pi of rasd s as hat of a lg od who

deSiged e wold meapysis o se ag [N 404 a

Ashwitz but h desir fo ascdece caot he es e

elmated og od b xpeied y av i somg

ta rseds lfe were ot promsd also T asdt is. and

is not" (ND. 375):4 Adoo hoors Dodentiy s absn absouteas mssi proms<

Adoo stggls o dsi a fo hat is maea i it esisa to

hum op but pua so mght a d promis of a

absouttoome A l maism is mo hoogly oisici



c tin 7

pesentao: e out-side as no messiai promse,<3 But a piosopy

of odey nd v matem neverteess se uge to cltte moe ae tenveness to te osde

Th Nav A Val Maalsm

Adorno remds us t umans c expeiee te outside ony indiey oy oug ge poreti o tbe mages d imes

sios_ But wen e sy t een distog oepts si "refer to

noonepaies. beause onepts on ei p e moment of e

reiy t requires e fomto (ND 12) Adoo ao akow

edges uan epeiee neeeess udes econte wt a

otide t i ace focef ad qidepedet ouside

opete t dste om or bodes or it a opete a foeg

powe ite to em a wen we fee e disomfot of Oidey

ea te yyig oe of Sotes's demo or e moed by wat

Lcetius desibed tt ·someig or bret pbe o gt

ing d eising4 ere is a sog tendeny mong mode seur

weeduated ums to efer sc sgs bak to uma gency con

eed it uiate ore imp towd utrl gus

or toa otrutim wi itepe y epresio of ig

powe s eet of ure d e py of um powers potiizes

moi d oppessie ppe to ue And tt i good tng

But te oist espose to e wod so eds o obre om

view wateer tngpowe ee may be ee is s someg to be

adf momets of meodoogic naiet fo e poponement of geneoga ique of bje deay migt rende st a

sbistet wod of noua y o rende mnfe s bo to

reeive d to ptpte i te p give to at wi is eeied

Wat i mifest aes oug ums but ot eey bee of

tem

ta mtei ty to inge n tose momen durigwi ey nd tmseves fasnted by obje tng tem s ces

to e materia Vitiy t ey sre wit em sene of a strge

d iompete ommoy wit e otside my ndue vt materi

is to eat oumsmas pts e even atis d



18 ce 1

commodie-moe ey, more strategcaly, moe eologly.

But how to devop i apaiy fo nvet�? Oe tactic migt be tovsit nd become temporariy eted by dicedted phlosophies of

nare si e tant o supersion, imism vtism top

morphism ad oe pemodern ades I wl vee ito vt

sm i capter 5 d 6 but et m here mak a be top at e ien

aomm o Lucres, he Ro devotee of Epcs

uretu el of bodies i n a void bodies that ae ot ifes

t t mate on the go eer d eang embges sweg

into each oher "At es qute udeerned ad at udeteed

ey us lte fom er t: yt ony just so much a you coud all

a cage o tred. [For f hy dd no] . ee, al his would fa

dowwas ough he deep void ke drops o i or od colon

come to be, or blow brht to pas for te pmordia: so nare

woud ever ave brougt anyn into eitee ouis lthsser

described is s a materials e eounte' accodn to whih

poca events are bo om che meengs of atoms· A primodi

ve says that e wold s ot detemed at a elemet o cni

e esde at the her of tng but it so at oaled in

mae ths have a e at deep wth s n expiable vitaly o

eeg a mome of idepedee om nd esstce to us d oherbodes a d of ngpower.

heori o De Re Nau is reis, spekg i ahorta

tve voce n to deibe a are tha preess d ouives us

ere ae e mlest ostuet prts o ein (prmordia) ad hee

re the pcple o ssocato oven them It easy to cize

is easm ucreus u or e ing isf but ere s o teeee-or at leat no way fo u to gasp or kow it for e ig is

aways aeady humaied; s oet status aie at te ve itat

soetig omes into our awreess Adono eves is che xplic

y aganst Mn Heideers pheomenoogy wc Adorno nte

pe a a reas tat "sees to breach h wl which thoht h

buUt aoud ite to piee the teected ayer of subective poitionstha ave become a seod nae" edeggers to plosophize

foresy o to speak puey o he grod o hs H 78)50 is

for Adorno te d t is podutve of o ae" agst on

det



h o o th 19

But Lucres's poem-ke K toes, Sn aveoge.

Veadsk' peaon and y acco of e gte of Cold pgnedoe oer h poteti ee: c direct seso igusc

and magnate aeo towad a maei Te adage of

ch aes w er mbou nae ha ogh he "daow

he opoogal work e poogcl work ad the peome

oOgc work etaied the hmn prodco of materay they

do so n he nae of the fore of qesos at e ee oored foecosed moe fm fesizaons he fesizao of

e sjec the mage eword

Chapter 1, Jane Bennet, Vibrant-Matter

Documents