Brutalism
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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.
About this Author
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.
Reviews
"Mbembe writes rhapsodic, delirious, poetic prose to make difficult, unassailable arguments in this book."
"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."
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