Lecture 10: Materialism old & new

What is materialism?

Materialistic - material possessions is most important

Philosophical materialist - only material (matter) exists; no soul, love, fear

unlimited materialism - love is a product of physical environment

What is dialectical materialism?

History can be explained by material

What is new materialism?

Matter isn’t purely passive material → material isn’t an active force

Unifying themes:

1. All new materialists are post-humanists (de-center humans as the most valuable)

2. Flat ontologists → focus on what exists

What does it mean to think ontologically?

To think about what exists

What is matter?

Matter is used as a verb/active → shows that attempts at gender essentialism is an uphill battle

• what matters isn’t in isolation, but needs a physical form

• body gives what matters

• Butler challenges gender binaries → man/women norms are unnatural

What is a post structuralism?

Reality is defined by language, language has symbols, knowledge is not fixed! → no absolute truths

• structuralists believe nothing is beneath reality → appearance of reality = reality (no further truth hidden)

Why is reality relational?

Reality is created by the relations/interactions of the environment

What is new materialism (2)?

Matter is active, not passive

• matter actively participates in the world’s becoming

• 2 substances interacting with eachother: INTRA → how things are entangled with eachother

What is agency?

If it exists, it exists beyond just humans

• it is not unique or exclusive to only humans

What is post-human?

Seeks to go beyond limitations → integrate human body with technology

• perfect eye sight, memory

• fusion of human-technology de centers us

How can showing that matter is not purely passive be used for feminist ends?

Women historically pushed into being “passive”

• by showing that matter is not purely passive, the binary can be disproven

What is vital materialism?

Matter is an active force and has the capacity to make things happen

• this capacity shows that agency is not exclusive to humans

What is affect theory?

Emotions are dynamic forces, not purely social

• they can intensify

What is the main criticism of universal matter?

Matter is everywhere

• using a universal concept to try to understand individual groups/people

• problems with looking universally & shedding differences between men & women

Ontology is abstract & universal

• difficult to apply to patriarchy & subordination of women

What are feminist materialists?

All people look at how humans are physically embodied beings

• New materialism: how we look at the world in a physical body with matter everywhere

What is new and feminist materialism?

Expands from humans to environment & reality itself

• everything is entangled

• no divide from active human & passive things, everything is connected

• things might be different if we were made up of different stuff