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.
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.
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction 1
1. Universal Domination 9
2. Fracturing 27
3. Animism and Viscerality 40
4. Virilism 58
5. Border-Bodies 78
6. Circulations 91
7. The Community of Captives 105
8. Potential Humanity and the Politics of the Living 125
Conclusion 147
Notes 151
Index 179
Achille Mbembe is Research Professor in History and Politics at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He is author of Necropolitics and Critique of Black Reason and coeditor of Johannesburg: The Elusive Metropolis, all also published by Duke University Press.
“In an argument both elegant and urgent, Achille Mbembe focuses our
attention on the African continent, which is not only where the
forms of domination and deprivation that increasingly affect the
entire globe are most fully deployed but also where the forms of
reparation necessary for a future world can be glimpsed.”
*The Subversive Seventies*
“This is a fantastic translation of a vital text. The poetry,
intensity, complexity, and subtlety that we have come to expect
from Achille Mbembe’s work are all here in Brutalism.”
*Critique of Black Reason*
"Brutalism offers some experimental analyses but is, on the whole,
something quite different: a poetico-political vision, or a
'panoramic fresco,' as he promises in the introduction: a
suggestive image painted in broad strokes of dark, vital, earthy
colours—and accents of hopeful green."
*Modern Times Review*
"This book will be of interest to those working in Africana
thought, global development, political theory, and philosophy and,
more particularly, to anyone with an interest in ecology,
migration, or innovations in technology. Highly recommended.
Advanced undergraduates through faculty."
*Choice*
“Mbembe writes rhapsodic, delirious, poetic prose to make
difficult, unassailable arguments in this book.”
*Philosophy in Review*
“Achille Mbembe’s Brutalism is a thought-provoking and timely
work that challenges readers to rethink the future of humanity in
the face of rampant capitalism and technological advancement. Its
relevance extends beyond academic circles, offering valuable
insights for policymakers, activists, and anyone interested in the
intersections of technology, ecology, and social justice. Mbembe’s
vision for a new planetary consciousness, rooted in solidarity and
repair, is not just an intellectual exercise but a practical call
for transformative action.”
*African Affairs*
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