Graham Harman: Masterclass (October 1, 2015)

Graham Harman discusses the philosophical precursors of his work, starting with Kant and the phenomenological tradition starting with Brentano. Harmon characterizes Heidegger's tool analysis as a recognition of how objects appear and recede, depending on circumstances. He presents a diagram from his book The Quadruple Object that articulates the tensions between real objects and qualities and sensual objects and qualities. Harman presents an overview of philosophy in terms of two persistent errors: the weakening of objects by reducing them to a certain quality, and the overexploitation of objects by reducing them to their actions. Neither approach can account for emergence or change. Against physical reductionists, Harman promotes the figure of Socrates, who claimed to have no knowledge. Harman discusses the relevance of the theory of occasionalism, from Islamic theology to Bruno Latour. Harman concludes by answering questions regarding history, knowledge, mathematical models, the temporal aspect of architecture, essences and caricature.

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