The New Politics of Materialism : History, Philosophy, Science

New materialism challenges the mechanistic models characteristic of early modern philosophy that regarded matter as largely passive and inert. Instead it gives weight to topics often overlooked in such accounts: agency, vitalism, complexity, contingency, and self-organization.

This collection, which includes an international roster of contributors from philosophy, history, literature, and science, is the first to ask what is 'new' about the new materialism and place it in interdisciplinary perspective. Against current theories of new materialism it argues for a deeper engagement with materialism's history, questions whether matter can be 'lively,' and asks whether new materialism's wish to revitalize politics and the political lives up to its promise.

"The various strands of new materialism and posthumanism have been among the more exciting but also contested recent developments in the humanities. This volume is a multi-faceted conversation with these developments, constructively exploring their relations to older materialisms, feminism, science and technology studies, and various forms of naturalism, among other contributing and competing stances. There is no united front here "for" or "against" new materialism or posthumanism, but instead some thoughtful reflections upon what the new materialisms distinctively contribute to current scholarship, and how best to build upon or respond to those contributions." - Joseph Rouse, Wesleyan University, USA