Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
-
Upload
brett-gustafson -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
0
Transcript of Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
1/12
[PT13.2 (2012) 156-166] Political Theology(print) ISSN 1462-317Xdoi:10.1558/poth.vl3i2.156 Political Theology (online) ISSN 1473-1719
S p e c u la t iv e R e a lism a n d P u b lic T h e o lo g y : E x p lo r a t io n s
John Reader1
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University o f Chester, Parkgate Road
Chester CHI 4BJ, UK
A b s t r a c t
The paper argues that ideas emanating from the speculative realists can
inform a new approach to public theology, one that is broadly consistent
with Christian realism and opposed to that o f radical orthodoxy. Linking the
two disciplines through an exploration of the ethical consequences of spec-
ulative realism, it takes in particular the work of Latour, his concept o f the
gathering, his distinction between matters of fact and matters of concern,and his questioning of the fact-value distinction, and through a lived exam-
pie shows how the language of human and non-human offers a critique of
reductionist approaches to the political.
Keywords: Christian realism; Latour; public theology; radical orthodoxy;
speculative realism.
Things have to be gathered again (Latour)
Introduction
Can the world exist without us (or without our knowledge of it)? Can we
exist without the world? Two brutal questions, the answers to which will
shape our understanding o f the relatednessor gatheringof hum an and
non-hum an life and indeed our ethical (and religious) responses to the
practical issues that we face. For instance, when notions such as the effi-
cient markets hypothesis and homo economicus as a rational utility max-
imizing individual, shape economic and political responses to the global
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected] -
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
2/12
157Reader Speculative Realism and Public Theology
financial crisis, some of us would want to argue that these are inadequate
and reductionist interpretations of the gatherings of human and non-
human and that what is needed is a new language to better describe theway things are. My instinct is that some of the new language flowing
from the work o f speculative realists and their allies might just provide a
more adequate gathering of those things.
So where does public theology currently stand in this debate?
One could argue that UK public theology has followed five main
routes over the last 25 years: that influenced by liberation theology until
it fell out of fashion; the Roman Catholic natural law and common good
tradition; Christian realism as represented by the Manchester tradition of
Ronald Preston, John Atherton, and recently Chris Baker, Elaine Grahamand John Reader; the radical orthodoxy of John Milbank, Graham Ward
and other offshoots, sometimes related to the Christian communitarian-
ism of Stanley Hauerwas, Luke Bretherton and Sam Wells; a more consis-
tent postmodern approach taking on board the linguistic turn drawing on
philosophers such as Richard Rorty.
Is there now though the possibility of a further approach building upon
the writings of speculative realism, identified with the works of Quen-
tin Meillasoux, Ray Brassier, Iain Hamilton-Grant and Graham Harman,each in their different ways rejecting the correlationism between the
human and non-human which has dominated Continental philosophy
and which has lent itself to theological appropriations (see Bryant, Srnicek
and Harman 2011, downloadable as an open access text, notably chapter 1
which introduces the development and key ideas).
Possible areas to be explored are:
W hether a realist philosophy coheres with the realism o f public theol-
8y-How a greater respect for the autonomy of non-theological disciplines
contributes to a more effective public engagement with political and eco-
nomic issues.
Whether the thinkers now emerging, such as Manuel DeLanda and
Bruno Latour, provide helpful tools for social analysis.
What can be learnt from speculative realism and its engagement with
philosophy o f religion about the nature of the postsecular.
Ethical Implications o f Speculative Realism
My suggestion is that trying to work out the ethical implications of specu-
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
3/12
Political Theology158
Draw ing then on H arm ans wo rk on an object-oriented philoso-
phy in Towards Speculative Realism(2010), one can further establish the
argument for an independent external reality unrelated in any intrin-sic way to human consciousness and take the position that there is no
relationship and no encounter between humans or between humans
and the non-hum an. Hence the independent reality of both objects,
other humans, and indeed other (non-theological) disciplines has to
be respected. This would be in opposition to the arguments of radical
orthodoxy which insists on subsuming everything under a theological
banner.
Taking this further and using Harmans work on Latour which argues
that Latour is one o f the most important realists, one can develop this
argument for the autonomy of the non-human and for other disciplines
and examine Harmans own categorization of different philosophies as
either radical, conservative or in polarity, the latter being his ver-
sion of speculative realism, in which absolute gaps/dualities are respected
but also described according to human relationshipsanother type of
blurred encounter or gathering.
Hence what is required is an ethics based on realism rather than non-
realism in its various forms and that eschews the forms of com muni-tarianism (Christian and otherwise) that posit a final purpose or grand
narrative o f human community or development characteristic of radical
orthodoxy. Public theology, basing itself upon such an ethical approach,
must be of the realist variety, respect the autonomy of other groups and
disciplines while drawing upon them when appropriate, avoid setting up
arbitrary vision and goals, and acknowledge its limitations using reason in
the deployment o f what is best from its own traditions.
Some Gatherings Suggested by Bruno Latour
According to speculative realist philosopher Graham Harman (Prince of
Networks: Latour and Metaphysics, 2009), Latour is the closest figure to what
he calls an object-oriented hero (2009: 156). By this he means that
Latour is a believer in the reality and the independent existence o f the plu-
rality o f concrete objects. Given that the central problem of metaphysics
(according to Harman) is the interplay of objects and relations (p. 159),
then Latour sheds more light on both o f these than any other contempo-rary thinker. This, in itself, is justification for taking Latours work as a
i l f f f li hil h d hi h i
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
4/12
159Reader Speculative Realism and Public Theology
Latour on Matters o f Fact and Matters o f Concern
In a paper published at the end o f 2004, Latour sets out his own particu-
lar understanding o f critical inquiry. His basic argument is that the natureof critique itself has become divorced from its original path and intention
and that we are now being encouraged to fight the wrong enemies. The
problem is that we try to get away from facts whereas the real aim should
be to get closer to them.
What I am going to argue is that the critical mind, if it is to renew itself
and be relevant again, is to be found in the cultivation of a stubbornly real-
ist attitudeto speak like William Jamesbut a realism dealing with what
I will call matters o f concern, not matters o f fact (Latour 2004a: 231).What critique has been doing is to move away from matters of fact in
order to identify the conditions that made them possible, and the best way
to correct this is to focus instead on matters of concern. Matters of fact
are only partial and often very political renderings of matters of concern,
and only a subset o f what Latour terms states o f affairs. This requires,
amongst other things, a change in terminology. Rather than talking about
facts, Latour suggests that we adopt the word THING, in the sense of a
thing being a gathering, and thus able to represent more fully the complex
matters o f concern that should now demand our attention. This buildsupon but also extends the usage of this term by Heidegger who talked
about it as the fourfold (Heidegger 1971:173); however Latour will not
limit the meaning in this mathematical way, but wants to use it to refer to
all the various factors and components that go to construct any particular
state o f affairs. Thus, for instance, the discussions surrounding the deci-
sion to go to war against Iraq in 2003was this gathering a tribunal, a
parliament, a command-and-control war room, a rich mans club, a sci-
entific congress or a TV stage? At times it felt as though all o f these played
a part in that decision. And that is the way it so often isan investigation
that tried to coalesce, in one unifying, unanimous, solid, mastered object,
masses of people, opinions and might (Latour 2004a: 235). There are
invariably multiple components in any such situation and it is a challenge
to identify them all let alone know how they fit together.
Using the examples of both the Second G ulf War and indeed 9/11,
Latour shows how current approaches to critique descend into views that
these events did not really happen but were just staged for the TV,or per-
haps that they were part of some conspiracy perpetrated by the CIA andthe US government. We are now trained to be so suspicious of every event
d h i b hi d i h l i h f h l d i
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
5/12
Political Theology160
we have to be aware of this before we can begin to set facts apart and start
to analyse. So critique has to involve construction before one can think
about deconstruction.
One of the difficulties we all face in this, though, is our own lack of
consistency when it comes to interpreting different aspects o f our lives. As
Latour says: we explain the objects we dont approve o f by treating them
as fetishes; we account for behaviours we dont like by disciplines whose
make-up we dont examine; and we concentrate our passionate interest on
only those things that are for us worthwhile matters o f concern (2004a:
241). So we are realists when it suits us and non-realists when it doesnt
suit. I think this is a major problem for any form o f critical inquiry.
In order to counter this, Latour proposes that we revive a realist ap-proach, somewhat along the lines ofWhitehead (a link to process thought
and process theology therefore), who argued that we need to get closer
to facts and treat them with a respectful realist attitude. We tend to reduce
facts to what is immediately given in experience whereas what we should
do is to realize that matters of fact are totally implausible, unrealistic, un-
justified definitions of what it is to deal with things (2004a: 244).
Latour also introduces into the discussion two further terms: associ-
ation by which he means all the objects of science and technology, and
Pickerings mangle o f practice, both of which point towards the required
multi-disciplinary inquiries that are required to detect how many partici-
pants are gathered in a thing to make it exist and to maintain its existence.
So objects are simply a gathering that has faileda fact that has not been
assembled according to due process.
Once again, Latour makes it clear that the critic is not one who de-
bunks, but one who assembles. All participants, all voices both human
and non-human, must be taken into account when considering matters of
concern. It seems to me that this is not simply an empirical requirementbut also a moral one, and could be linked to the ethical approach of some-
one like Habermas and his notion o f discourse ethics, which requires that
all those affected by a particular issue should have the chance to participate
in the ensuing debate and decision. Latour does refer to Habermas in this
context (Latour 2004b: 171).
The final implication o f this that needs to be noted is that we will always
be dealing with more rather than less. Instead o f reducing facts, subtract-
ing from them in order to simplify and analyse, we are more likely to be
adding to them , acknowledging that it is very difficult to know where to
stop and draw the line when it comes to encountering matters o f concern
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
6/12
161Reader Speculative Realism and Public Theology
process o f creation and technical innovation than we, as humans, have put
in. Once again, one might argue, this is a very realistic statement, and
one with moral implications. In order to cope with this multiplication ofpossibilities, Latour argues that what is needed is an experimental meta-
physics, one that continues to allow for the unforeseen, unexpected, and
which goes beyond what we think we know and understand.
Latour on the Fact-Value Distinction
One of the major divisions of labour that dominates the relationship be-
tween ethical and practical concerns is that between fact and value.
Part of Latours attempt to critique existing practice and to show thatother possibilities need to be taken into account is his questioning and
reconfiguring of this relationship. As is consistent with the rest of his
work, Latour is attempting to show that the reality of dealing with mat-
ters of concern is that separating out apparently different concerns and
approaches to them is artificial and misleading: they are all part and
parcel of the human and non-human enterprise of working out how to
respond to circumstances and to move matters forward.
The tidy way in which we have become accustomed to doing this is by
drawing a firm distinction between matters o f fact and matters of value.We have already seen that Latour recommends abandoning the notion of
matters o f fact and replacing them with matters o f concern, so it is to be
expected that this will have implications for the old notion that facts are
the realm of scientists or researchers, and that values are to be left to the
politicians or moralists. Latour argues that establishing the facts of a case
is only the final stage in a long process of argument, research and discov-
ery, and that many different people and indeed things are involved in the
earlier stages.Apart from the recognized matters o f fact, we now know how to iden-
tify a whole gamut o f stages where facts are uncertain, warm, cold, heavy,
light, hard, supple; matters of concern that are defined precisely because
they do not conceal the researchers who are in the process o f fabricating
them, the laboratories necessary for their production, the instruments that
ensure their validation, the sometime heated polemics to which they give
risein short, everything that makes it possible to articulate propositions
(2004b: 96).
As a result of this, to use the word fact without making it clear exactlywhere the boundaries between fact and value might be in a particular stage
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
7/12
Political Theology162
Parallel difficulties arise in the way that we normally refer to values in
this equation. Values always come too late into the process. If, in order to
bring about what ought to be, values require rejecting what is, the retortwill be that the stubbornness of the established matters of fact no longer
allows anything to be modified (2004b: 97). How familiar and how frus-
trating is that to those of us who do wish to question and challenge and
indeed to suggest that there are real alternatives? In the wake o f the global
financial crisis, for instance, how often is genuine debate quashed by the
response that we have no choice but to make cuts and thus this is taken
as the accepted presupposition of all subsequent action? Latour is surely
correct that, once the facts of the case are supposedly established, then
proposed values can only intervene in a very limited and predetermineddirection. If it is the case that the harsh reality of market forces is set
in stone before one even begins, then no values are likely to have much
impact upon the decisions to be made!
Latours New Models o f Change and Action
Instead o f making a distinction between subjects and objects, Latour says
that we should speak of associations between humans and non-humans.
This term would then cover both the old natural sciences and the old
social sciences. Em bedded in this are a number o f redefinitions central to
Latours argument, most notably the replacement of subject and object
by human and non-human. The realist position, as it has normally been
presented, is based on the distinction between human beings (as subjects)
and everything else (as objects). The one thing that the speculative real-
ists have in common is that they object to what they call post-Kantian
philosophy in its various forms, that assumes any external reality can only
be mediated through some version of hum an consciousness. Thus if theidea of a world-in-itself, of a realm of phenomena subsisting indepen-
dently o f our relation to it, is intelligible at all, it can only be intelligible as
something in-itself or independent for-us (Brassier 2007: 50).
What Latour attempts to do, by changing the language of subject
object to hum an-non-hum an , is to get beyond this particular distinction
which has hampered philosophical progress for too long, and enable us
to talk about different forms of relatedness. This discussion takes us deep
into the realms o f metaphysics and the newly emerging speculative real-
ism. Religious beliefs and practice can then be acknowledged as a part of
this gathering, not though in the imperialistic mode of radical orthodoxy,
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
8/12
Reader Speculative Realism and Public Theology 163
A Lived Example o f Latours Gatherings
Three days after I delivered this paper at the Chester conference I found
myself in the neo-natal department o f a major hospital in the North West,nursing our younger sons 24-hour-old daughter. The baby was only five
pounds in weight and was diagnosed with a serious genetic disorder which
meant that she had a series of serious physical conditions which made her
survival unlikely. She lived for a week. I was aware, through and beyond
our shared grief as a family, that this was a gathering of a whole range of
different components, both human and non-human.
We were surrounded by the most complex and sophisticated technical
equipment, tubes, computers and monitors which constantly recorded
her every response, all in a sanitized environment to protect the babies
in the unit against infection. This felt like an amazing trium ph of hum an
ingenuity through machines which would enable some o f these vulner-
able human beings to survive. I have no idea of the financial value of
all this, but it has to be significant. At the same time, just as important,
were the staff on duty and their care for and sensitivity towards the par-
ents present and their families. Just to be in that one nursery on the unit
was to be part of a gathering of humans and non-humans (in this case
the machines) in a remarkable combination. (The unit has subsequentlyfeatured in a TV documentary, adding another layer of gathering I
suggest.)
I am also aware now that I used new technologies in a very particular
way. To keep people informed of what was happening I sent email mes-
sages to both friends, work colleagues and parishioners. I also used text in
some cases. But this was also a means o f keeping them all at arms length as
it meant I could avoid direct contact. By doing this one could both mobi-
lize support and solidarity but also delay the painful process of having to
explain to people what was happening and its immediate consequences.
Once again, the technology now available had changed the way in which
the situation was dealt with.
Then there are the background issues of welfare resources and how
these are allocated. Clearly, the major hospital with state-of-the-art dedi-
cated equipment and staff contrasted with the local hospital in which the
birth actually took place and which was simply not geared to handling this
sort of emergency. Although the local hospital had done the right thing in
arranging a transfer to the specialized unit, we did have specific questionsabout the standard of care and treatment the family had received. Notably,
h h i d h d f il d id if f h b i
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
9/12
Political Theology164
there be future pregnancies, they will receive constant monitoring and
care from the major hospital.
Without going into the specifics of this it is clear that issues of how
resources are allocated is central to the standards of care availablea post-
code lottery as it is sometimes described. This is about political and eco-
nomic decisions made in a particular way and according to specific criteria,
therefore another very different dimension of the gathering focused on a
51b matter o f concern. With questions now raging about reorganization of
the NHS it is impossible to ignore the political angle o f what are very per-
sonai tragedies.
There was also a very powerful ethical dimension to this situation.
If the symptoms of the baby had been picked up by the scans and sub-sequent examinations and a termination been offered as a result, what
decision would my son and daughter-in-law have taken? As with simi-
lar conditions such as Downs syndromethis particular one is worse
and less commona termination is sometimes made available. The loss
is probably no less, but at least there is prior warning o f a problem and the
possibility of taking pre-emptive action. Is that what we would all have
wanted rather than the agony of going through birth, meeting this baby, if
only for a few hours, but at least having encountered her and been able to
acknowledge her as part of both families? I dont think we have a straight-
forward answer to this, bu t it does relate to a whole series of issues around
the subject of genetic engineering and, once again, the use o f the technol-
ogy now available.
The fact remains that we did encounter this fragile life who had done
remarkably well even to be born alive, let alone to survive for seven days.
During that time there was opportunity for her parents to bond with her,
to focus their love and attention upon her, and for other family members
to do the same in their own ways. It was also the occasion for a consid-erable amount of external support and solidarity, which includes others
sharing very personal stories o f their own grief through similar losses.
As such this has been a very powerful human experience which raises
the question of what is really important in our livesour relatedness and
shared humanity. However painful, it feels as though her determination
to come to be with us has offered us some deep insights into matters we
take for granted. A termination could not have had that impact.
Then the really speculative dimension to this. It has struck me that
those of us who make it through to existence are a small proportion of
those who might have been or could besomething here about the dif-
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
10/12
Reader Speculative Realism and Public Theology 165
is the most remarkable thinga miracle even. I find this hard to articu-
late, but when people such as Latour, Harman and others talk about the
weirdness of existence, maybe this is something o f what they are strug-
gling to put into words. Whether it is humans or non-humans, the fact
that we are here is itself the most inexplicable and strange phenomena,
because it could so easily be that none of us come into existence. I f one
could grasp this, then it would be possible to view what is in a very differ-
ent light. Coming into beingin the case of humans and other animals
through birthis incredible. That we cease to be, whether it is after 7
days or 70 years, is perhaps less important. Why should our value or sig-
nificance depend upon how long we happen to exist let alone on what we
happen to achieve (in human or cultural terms) during whatever timespan is available to us? Call this religious, metaphysical or plainly obscure,
this small and limited life has opened a window onto other ways of think-
ing about our world and hum an being within it.
Can that world exist without us or we without it? That anything exists
at all is perhaps the more remarkable thing.
Conclusion
I would argue that the work o f Latour as described above provides strongevidence to support the view that speculative realism does indeed offer
resources for public theology. It does so by suggesting a new terminol-
ogy to articulate the relationship between humans and non-humans thus
subverting the unhelpful distinction between subjects and objects, as
well as pointing to matters o f concern as being more appropriate than
matters of fact when it comes to approaching ethical issues. The values
which form part o f every political, economic and ethical decision are
always already embedded in the discussions in the manner o f the gath-erings which Latour describes. So this is a form of realism which takes
the non-hum an seriously as having an independent bu t related existence.
This then leads into an understanding which requires that religious views
need to respect the autonomy of other disciplines rather than subsum-
ing them under an imperialistic theological banner. It also questions any
interpretation o f Christianity as proposing a definitive model o f com mu-
nity which can then be used as a criterion for evaluating other forms of
life. The weirdness and extraordinary nature of existence will preclude
any such predetermined outcome of the human journey. When it comesto facing the complexity of decisions and understandings o f the situations
-
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
11/12
Political Theology166
views o f what it is to be human and to exist in our gatherings with the
non-human. Com ing into being at all is what should be the starting point
for our self-understanding.
B i b l i o g r a p h y
Brassier, Ray.Nihil Unbound: Enlightenment and Extinction.Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Mac-
millan, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230590823
Bryant, Levi, Nick Srnicek and Graham Harman, eds. 2011. The Speculative Turn: Continen-
tal Material and Realism.Melbourne: re-press, http://re-press.org/books/the-speculativ
e-turn-continental-materialism-and-realism
Harman, Graham. 2009. Prince ofNetworks: Latour and Metaphysics.Melbourne: re-press.
2010. Towards Speculative Realism: Essays and Lectures.Ropley, Hants: Zero Books.Heidegger, Martin. 1971. Poetry,Language, Thought.New York: Harper & Row.
Latour, Bruno. 2004a. Why Has Critique Run Out of Steam? From Matters of Fact to
Matters of Concern. Critical Inquiry30 (Winter 2004): 225-48. http://dx.d0i.0rg/l0.10
86/421123
2004b. Politics of Nature: How to Bring the Sciences into Democracy.Cambridge, MA and
London: Harvard University Press.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230590823http://re-press.org/books/the-speculativhttp://dx.d0i.0rg/l0.10http://dx.d0i.0rg/l0.10http://dx.d0i.0rg/l0.10http://dx.d0i.0rg/l0.10http://dx.d0i.0rg/l0.10http://dx.d0i.0rg/l0.10http://re-press.org/books/the-speculativhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230590823 -
7/24/2019 Speculative Realism and Public Theology - John Reader
12/12
Copyright and Use:
As an ATLAS user, you may print, download, or send articles for individual use
according to fair use as defined by U.S. and international copyright law and as
otherwise authorized under your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement.
No content may be copied or emailed to multiple sites or publicly posted without the
copyright holder(sV express written permission. Any use, decompiling,
reproduction, or distribution of this journal in excess of fair use provisions may be a
violation of copyright law.
This journal is made available to you through the ATLAS collection with permission
from the copyright holder( s). The copyright holder for an entire issue of ajournai
typically is the journal owner, who also may own the copyright in each article. However,for certain articles, the author of the article may maintain the copyright in the article.
Please contact the copyright holder(s) to request permission to use an article or specific
work for any use not covered by the fair use provisions of the copyright laws or coveredby your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement. For information regarding the
copyright holder(s), please refer to the copyright information in the journal, if available,or contact ATLA to request contact information for the copyright holder(s).
About ATLAS:
The ATLA Serials (ATLAS) collection contains electronic versions of previously
published religion and theology journals reproduced with permission. The ATLAScollection is owned and managed by the American Theological Library Association
(ATLA) and received initial funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The design and final form of this electronic document is the property of the AmericanTheological Library Association.