Molecular Red Theory for the Anthropocene
Molecular Red Theory for the Anthropocene by McKenzie Wark, published by Verso Books on October 25, 2016, is a reprint edition comprising 304 pages in English. This work presents philosophical tools tailored for the Anthropocene, a new epoch characterized by the intricate interplay between human and natural forces. Wark delves into the implications of this era through the narratives of the Soviet and American empires, suggesting that the decline of the former foreshadows the challenges facing the latter. By examining historical contexts, Wark aims to extract ideas that envision potential futures shaped by collective labor.
Readers will find that Molecular Red explores the Soviet experiment as a lens for understanding contemporary organizational challenges. Wark draws on the contributions of figures like Alexander Bogdanov and Andrey Platonov, while also integrating insights from the Californian military-entertainment complex, including Donna Haraway’s cyborg critique and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Martian utopia. This book proposes an alternative realism, emphasizing the importance of salvaging hope from what persists amid the transformations brought about by climate change.
Official synopsis Publisher
Radical new critical theory for the twenty-first century
In Molecular Red, McKenzie Wark creates philosophical tools for the Anthropocene, our new planetary epoch, in which human and natural forces are so entwined that the future of one determines that of the other.
Wark explores the implications of Anthropocene through the story of two empires, the Soviet and then the American. The fall of the former prefigures that of the latter. From the ruins of these mighty histories, Wark salvages ideas to help us picture what kind of worlds collective labor might yet build. From the Russian revolution, Wark unearths the work of Alexander Bogdanov—Lenin’s rival—as well as the great Proletkult writer and engineer Andrey Platonov.
The Soviet experiment emerges from the past as an allegory for the new organizational challenges of our time. From deep within the Californian military-entertainment complex, Wark retrieves Donna Haraway’s cyborg critique and science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson’s Martian utopia as powerful resources for rethinking and remaking the world that climate change has wrought. Molecular Red proposes an alternative realism, where hope is found in what remains and endures.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Molecular Red Theory for the Anthropocene” about?
Who is the author of “Molecular Red Theory for the Anthropocene”?
When was “Molecular Red Theory for the Anthropocene” published?
What is the ISBN for “Molecular Red Theory for the Anthropocene”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
