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Historical Materialism #106
The Politics of Transindividuality
The Politics of Transindividuality reexamines social relations and subjectivity through the concept of transindividuality. Transindividuality is understood as the mutual constitution of individuality and collectivity, and as such it intersects with politics and economics, philosophical speculation and political practice.
While the term transindividuality is drawn from the work of Gilbert Simondon, this book views it broadly, examining such canonical figures as Spinoza, Hegel, and Marx, as well as contemporary debates involving Étienne Balibar, Bernard Stiegler, and Paolo Virno. Through these intersecting aspects and interpretations of transindividuality, the book proposes to examine anew the intersection of politics and economics through their mutual constitution of affects, imagination, and subjectivity.
While the term transindividuality is drawn from the work of Gilbert Simondon, this book views it broadly, examining such canonical figures as Spinoza, Hegel, and Marx, as well as contemporary debates involving Étienne Balibar, Bernard Stiegler, and Paolo Virno. Through these intersecting aspects and interpretations of transindividuality, the book proposes to examine anew the intersection of politics and economics through their mutual constitution of affects, imagination, and subjectivity.
309 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 22, 2022
i read the first part of this book years and years ago, the opening sections on Spinoza, Hegel, and Marx as well as the "excursus" on Balibar (who has been and remains very influential on my thought, and remains somewhat underread in geography). i didn't read the rest because both Simondon books were not translated yet (and I figured I already had what I needed in S/H/M), and I had no real interest in Stiegler, Virno, or Lazzarato, each of whom i had already had to dig into in grad school more than i really needed to. returning to the book now, I see the added value of Simondon a bit more clearly. additionally, Read is a very compelling comparative reader, drawing out the stakes in where each of these thinkers locates transindividuality with respect to political economy, and political Marxism. in particular, the pivotal chapter of the book is "affective composition: toward a spinozist critique of political economy," which importantly re-ingests the concept of transindividuality back into S, helping us see where that critique ought to take us. finally, there is a little bit on alienation that is really helping me draw the connection i've been working on with Jaeggi and others. great book for those interested in any of these thinkers.
February 13, 2021
The book presents a fundamental investigation of the political aspects of transindividuatlity.
Methodologically, Read places socio-historical investigation and the ontological speculation in a relation that is one of tension as much as completion, reinforcing but transforming each other. Transindividualty, a concept developed by immanently technological philosopher Gilbert Simondon, is framed by, on one side, a radical break with the centrality of the individual in philosophical thought and, on the other side, _psychic individuation_, the individuation that constitutes a character, personality, or psyche, is _not opposed_ to collective individuation, but _rather is integral to it_, and vice versa. Adopting Simondon transindividual schemas on politico-economical terms, the book has an extremely broad theoretical scope. First, it provides multiple engaging insights into the transindividual reading of fundamental thinkers such as Spinoza, Hegel and Marx. Then it shifts to the post-Simondonian scholars — Stiegler, Virno and Lazzarato, thinking through all of them to articulate an acute new reading of the politics and economics of transindividuality.
Methodologically, Read places socio-historical investigation and the ontological speculation in a relation that is one of tension as much as completion, reinforcing but transforming each other. Transindividualty, a concept developed by immanently technological philosopher Gilbert Simondon, is framed by, on one side, a radical break with the centrality of the individual in philosophical thought and, on the other side, _psychic individuation_, the individuation that constitutes a character, personality, or psyche, is _not opposed_ to collective individuation, but _rather is integral to it_, and vice versa. Adopting Simondon transindividual schemas on politico-economical terms, the book has an extremely broad theoretical scope. First, it provides multiple engaging insights into the transindividual reading of fundamental thinkers such as Spinoza, Hegel and Marx. Then it shifts to the post-Simondonian scholars — Stiegler, Virno and Lazzarato, thinking through all of them to articulate an acute new reading of the politics and economics of transindividuality.
August 12, 2022
What I like about this book is that it deals it with Simondon in a very Simondonian way by studying and situating the concept of transindividuality within its associated milieu. Really liked the chapters on Virno and Lazzarato. I think I just enjoy Read’s political insights over all. It helps that I got this copy from Read himself when he visited Montreal some years ago. So I might be biased.
One thing that remains unsatisfying in Simondon inspired work in social theory is the extent to which Simondon’s writings are recieved in very different ways by different authors. There are some like Yuk Hui who focus explicitly on the notions of information and technicity. There are others like Virno who build on Simondon’s insights into psycho-social individuation for political theory.
I would say this book falls into the latter camp although Read is very much in conversation with people like Stiegler and actually deals with alienation and technicity in an original and satisfying way.
Still so much of what’s great about Simondon is his weird combination of a critical history of technology and natural philosophy. Still great book overall, would definitely recommend.
One thing that remains unsatisfying in Simondon inspired work in social theory is the extent to which Simondon’s writings are recieved in very different ways by different authors. There are some like Yuk Hui who focus explicitly on the notions of information and technicity. There are others like Virno who build on Simondon’s insights into psycho-social individuation for political theory.
I would say this book falls into the latter camp although Read is very much in conversation with people like Stiegler and actually deals with alienation and technicity in an original and satisfying way.
Still so much of what’s great about Simondon is his weird combination of a critical history of technology and natural philosophy. Still great book overall, would definitely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews