Eugene Thacker, “Horror of Philosophy” (Zero Book, 2011-2015)
Sep 28, 2015
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Eugene Thacker, author of the Horror of Philosophy series, discusses the relationship between philosophy and supernatural horror. Topics explored include unhuman thinking, creative misreadings, contradictions in philosophy, decomposition in the horror genre, upcoming book on cosmic pessimism, and musical inspirations.
Embracing contradictions as integral parts of logic and thought in the horror genre and philosophical thinking.
The intersection and influence of different genres and forms of writing, using unconventional styles to convey ideas.
Exploring the themes of decay, unhumanity, and the role of form in conveying ideas effectively in various literary works.
Deep dives
The importance of contradiction and negation in the horror genre and philosophical thinking
The podcast episode explores the theme of contradiction and negation in the horror genre and its connection to philosophical thinking. It emphasizes the significance of embracing contradictions and seeing them not as failures, but as integral parts of logic and thought. The speaker highlights the relevance of authors like Eugene Thacker, Lovecraft, Elgin, and Blackwood, who explore the concept of morphologies of negation in their works. The episode also discusses the influence of philosophers such as Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, who offer alternative perspectives on life and existence beyond traditional philosophical frameworks.
The intermingling of genres and forms in the podcast episode
The podcast episode utilizes a comparative methodology to bring together different genres and forms of writing. It showcases how literature, philosophy, and natural sciences can intersect and inform each other. The episode mentions works like Lautreamont's 'Bambara Tooth This Infernalis' and Flusser's 'Vampiratut: A Study of Extreme Philes' as examples of how authors manipulate form and authorship to explore their subject matter. The speaker also notes the significance of unconventional writing styles, such as aphorisms, fragments, and prose poetry, which are used to convey ideas in a non-linear and expressive manner.
The exploration of themes like decay, decomposition, and unhumanity in the episode
The podcast episode delves into the themes of decay, decomposition, and unhumanity. It discusses how these concepts are present in various literary works, such as Lovecraft's weird fiction and Dante's 'Inferno'. The speaker highlights the importance of these themes in understanding the darker aspects of human existence and existence itself. The episode also references the significance of cephalopods and tentacles as symbols of otherness and negation, rather than just representations of multiplicity. Additionally, it mentions the book 'Cosmic Pessimism' by Eugene Thacker, which further delves into these themes.
The significance of morphology and form in the podcast episode
The podcast episode explores the role of morphology and form in various works discussed. It examines how different writers manipulate form and structure to convey their ideas effectively. The episode mentions the influence of authors like Schopenhauer and their use of aphorisms, fragments, and prose poems as alternative modes of expression. It also discusses the impact of structural innovations found in the horror genre, as well as the blending of literary and scientific forms. This emphasis on form allows for a deeper exploration of ideas and enables a unique reading experience that transcends traditional academic and popular writing styles.
The intersection of philosophy and music in the podcast episode
While the podcast episode does not focus specifically on music, it briefly mentions the connection between philosophy and music. The speaker highlights the importance of music in their life and writing process. They mention their appreciation for artists such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Grouper, Morton Feldman, and Mianku Dumatrescu. The episode suggests that, similar to writing styles, musical preferences can vary and change depending on the author's mood, inspiration, and research focus. Music serves as a source of inspiration and a way to explore different forms of expression beyond traditional academic or philosophical language.
Eugene Thacker‘s wonderful Horror of Philosophy series includes three books – In the Dust of this Planet (Zero Books, 2011), Starry Speculative Corpse (Zero Books, 2015), and Tentacles Longer than Night (Zero Books, 2015) – that collectively explore the relationship between philosophy (especially as it overlaps with demonology, occultism, and mysticism) and horror (especially of the supernatural sort). Each book takes on a particular problematic using a particular form from the history of philosophy, from the quaestio, lectio, and disputatio of medieval scholarship, to shorter aphoristic prose, to productive “mis-readings” of works of horror as philosophical texts and vice versa. Taken together, the books thoughtfully model the possibilities born of a comparative scholarly approach that creates conversations among works that might not ordinarily be juxtaposed in the same work: like Nishitani, Kant, Yohji Yamamoto, and Fludd; or Argento, Dante, and Lautramont. Though they explore topics like darkness, pessimism, vampiric cephalopods, and “black tentacular voids,” these books vibrate with life and offer consistent and shining inspiration for the careful reader. Anyone interested in philosophy, theology, modern literature and cinema, literatures on life and death, the history of horror…or really, anyone at all who appreciates thoughtful writing in any form should grab them – grab all of them! – and sit somewhere comfy, and prepare to read, reflect, and enjoy.
For Thacker’s brand-new book Cosmic Pessimism (published by Univocal with a super-groovy black-on-black cover) go here. Thacker is co-teaching a course with Simon Critchley on “Mysticism” at the New School for Social Research this fall 2015. You can check out the description here.
