What is speculative realism?

Speculative realism is a contemporary philosophical movement that emerged in the early 21st century, primarily through the work of a group of philosophers who sought to challenge the dominant trends in philosophy, particularly correlationism. Correlationism is the idea that we can only understand the relationship between thought and being, and that knowledge is always mediated by human perception and experience. Key figures associated with speculative realism include Quentin Meillassoux, Graham Harman, Ray Brassier, and Iain Hamilton Grant. Each of these philosophers has different approaches, but they share a common interest in exploring ontological questions and the nature of reality independent of human thought. ### Some central themes in speculative realism include: 1. **Reality Beyond Human Thought**: Speculative realists argue for an understanding of reality that is not contingent upon human perception or understanding. They seek to articulate a philosophy that takes the material world seriously and recognizes that it exists and operates independently of human concerns. 2. **Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO)**: Graham Harman, one of the prominent figures in this movement, developed object-oriented ontology, which posits that objects exist independently of their interactions and relations with other objects, including human observers. In OOO, all objects (be they social, natural, or technological) have their own autonomy and agency. 3. **Contingency and Necessity**: Quentin Meillassoux, another key figure, explores the concepts of necessity and contingency in relation to the natural world. He argues for a form of realism that allows for radical contingency in the universe, asserting that the laws of nature are not fixed but can change. 4. **Critique of Correlationism**: Speculative realists critique the limitations of correlationist philosophy, which they believe reduces reality to human perspectives and subjective experience. They advocate for a more robust engagement with metaphysical concepts that account for the existence of things beyond human interaction. 5. **New Aesthetics and Implications for Art**: Speculative realism also influences contemporary art and aesthetics by calling for a new engagement with non-human perspectives and the materiality of art itself. Overall, speculative realism represents a significant departure from traditional philosophy by focusing on the ontological status of reality beyond human thought, proposing new ways to think about existence, objects, and their relationships in a broader and often more radical context.