Post-Continental Voices: Selected Interviews [Paperback]

We just received our copy of Paul Ennis's fantastic Post-Continental Voices: Selected Interviews from Zero Books. (Zero Books, we should note, is fast becoming this decades go to selection for thrilling new thought, much like we used to turn to Continuum.)

Though we still find ourselves returning to the continent to touch the land, to taste the salt, to drink its wine, we also recognize the inevitability and and indeed the necessity of moving beyond the artificial dialectic of us and them (thus and em). To some extent, speculative realism is offering this, though it is yet to emerge as a "formed" movement.

The first interview is with Graham Harman who is emerging as the founder of speculative realism, or at least as the more cogent, clear Meillassoux. Harman is a professor of philosophy at American University Cairo and has perhaps written more about Heidegger than most. What is interesting about these interviews is they are not simply theory based, not dense, unworkable talks in which a substantial understanding of their work is necessary; instead Harman discusses his own intellectual development, his struggles in graduate school, his Everestic assault on reading the entire Gessamtausgabe, and the new directions he sees philosophy taking. Of special note, he emphasizes the importance of looking at North America's unique contributions to "continental" thought, and draws attention to the work of Alphonso Lingis, who, Harman says, "took phenomenology in any sort of realist direction."

The rest of the interviews are with the "lesser known" thinkers in the movement--Jeffrey Malpas, whom Ennis claims has "instigated an entire new direction in Heidegger scholarship, Ian Bogost, Levi Bryant, Stuart Elden, Adrian Ivakhiv and Lee Braver. We'll get to these thinkers shortly but for now it is important to welcome not only a fine, though frightfully slender, compendium of new thinkers, but also a possible entré to new directions of what we call thinking.

What's happening in philosophy now? Anyone standing outside the academy without access to piles of expensive journals may find this a very difficult question to answer. The increased institutionalization and specialization of knowledge has left the general reader a bit stranded in terms of keeping up with the bleeding edge of research. Some claim say that the latest books often contain revelations two or more years old. The writing and publishing that follows research takes time, after all. So even new releases may not reveal the freshest magma from the trench. Blogging has helped bridge the gap somewhat as researchers often give peeks into projects on their internet blogs. Some of them even interview other researchers and post these on their own blogs. This in fact was the genesis of "Post-Continental Voices," a scintillating but all too short release from Zero Books. Though a very interesting and engaging read, the book's minuscule girth may cause its spine to vanish between copies of "Being and Time" and "The Complete Works of Plato." At 105 pages a strong breeze could send it flying. But, as the saying goes, size shouldn't matter. The contents of this emaciated volume matter far more. And what the book lacks in brawn it makes up for in substance.

Seven short interviews feature thinkers currently engaged in philosophical research, whether within philosophy departments or not. The themes become salient very quickly, in particular "Speculative Realism" and "Object-Oriented Philosophy." Though these terms never really get defined, the book does give a high-level context, thus providing a sort of an introduction to this emerging field. Heidegger also figures in nearly all the interviews, as the interviewer reveals, along with other personal preferences, in the introduction. The bulk of each interview delineates the subject's intellectual development and current research interests or forthcoming books. Many have read a lot of Heidegger and approach his thought from a variety of perspectives, including tool-being, topography, ecology, spatiality, and technology. His emphasis on the "human-world correlate" comes under fire throughout. Another ubiquitous subject involves the Analytic-Continental divide that some claim has perpetuated a nefarious philosophical schism since post-Kantian times. Opinions differ as to whether this divide will persevere. A few think that an integration would only benefit the now dominant Analytic side. Others think the recent generation incorporates both "sides" into their work already, making any future division irrelevant. The disparate range of opinions and predictions won't surprise anyone. Lastly, anyone contemplating a career in philosophy, particularly a Continental-flavored one, may find guidance, solace, or terror here. The interviewer asks each subject what advice they would give to their "younger self" in graduate school. Lee Braver gives the most shocking answer: "I'm tempted to tell him not to go; there are so many chances to end up in unsatisfying situations that I sometimes get retrospective vertigo just thinking about my own fate." Others bequeath less harrowing advice, such as stick with it, don't follow careerism, don't flounder in indecision, etc. Ultimately, the academic job market for philosophy graduates doesn't comes across as particularly optimistic. Braver once again presents strong words: "The vast majority of Ph.D.'s, if they get jobs at all, work at teaching schools and, if they publish, their publications sink beneath the surface with barely a ripple." Aspects of the academic life, glorious and awful, appear between the lines in all of the interviews.

Those seeking advice, or warnings, on entering academic life or those simply wanting a peek at one of the latest developments in philosophical research, will find all of the above here. And it doesn't take much time, as the book remains digestible in a single sitting. But how timely is the book? These interviews appeared on the interviewer's blog in early 2009. Early 2011 has now arrived and will soon vaporize into mid-2011. An advantage of this is that some of the mentioned "forthcoming" work may now exist in mass form. But academic time doesn't move like business time, so a cutting edge book with 2-year old content may provide the most efficient source for those looking from outside the knowledge mill. Blogs will also likely continue to proliferate and may well overtake books as the best source for the latest insider news, if they haven't already. This begs the question whether philosophy remains relevant for those not working in it. Does academic philosophy merely perpetuate itself in ignorance of the great wide world? Does one have to be inside its walls to feel a part of it? Yes and no. Obviously, those not actively working in academic philosophy departments have a distinct disadvantage that seems very difficult to overcome. But the interview with Levi Bryant opens up some new possibilities while claiming that most philosophical innovations today come from outside philosophy departments. He also cites blogging as a new channel for thinking and sharing. He seems to suggest that philosophy needs to re-open itself to the world to expand beyond its current state. Perhaps some will heed this calling. In any case, Zero Books has helped bring philosophy closer to the real world by publishing this easy to read and accessible collection of interviews. Anyone interested in the state of the field should gobble it up.