Brutalism
Brutalism by Achille Mbembe, published by Duke University Press on January 9, 2024, is a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary societal dynamics through the lens of architectural aesthetics. This 199-page work delves into the themes of demolition and production on a global scale, drawing parallels between brutalist architecture and the overwhelming weight of modern capitalism. Mbembe articulates how contemporary capitalism dominates various aspects of existence, leading to a blurring of the natural and artificial in our increasingly digital world.
In this edition, readers will encounter a critical examination of the existential threats posed by capitalism, as well as the potential for Afro-diasporic thought to offer solutions. Mbembe emphasizes the need for a new planetary consciousness and the importance of solidarity among all living beings. The book engages with subjects such as philosophy, critical theory, and social science, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the complexities of our current moment.
Official synopsis Publisher
In Brutalism, eminent social and critical theorist Achille Mbembe invokes the architectural aesthetic of brutalism to describe our moment, caught up in the pathos of demolition and production on a planetary scale. Just as brutalist architecture creates an affect of overwhelming weight and destruction, Mbembe contends that contemporary capitalism crushes and dominates all spheres of existence. In our digital, technologically focused era, capitalism has produced a becoming-artificial of humanity and the becoming-human of machines. This blurring of the natural and artificial presents a planetary existential threat in which contemporary society’s goal is to precipitate the mutation of the human species into a condition that is at once plastic and synthetic. Mbembe argues that Afro-diasporic thought presents the only solution for breaking the totalizing logic of contemporary capitalism: repairing that which is broken, developing a new planetary consciousness, and reforming a community of humans in solidarity with all living things.
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