Richard Jackson: Between the Real and the Relational

Every once in a while, there occurs a certain shift in contemporary thought, which makes some kind of a cultural diagnosis necessary, perhaps even urgent. In recent years, we could observe such a shift as taking place in the continental tradition of philosophy, where the impact of the “Speculative Turn,” “Speculative Realism” or “Materialism” has been substantial. Though the shift’s significance is at least partly due to the way it has been presented by its supporters in an uncompromising, even aggressive manner, it makes for an easy summary: for too long modern critical philosophy has been dominated by the thought of relations. It is now time to move away from concepts of the relational towards the thinking of the real.