Adventures in Transcendental Materialism

A new materialist theory of subjectivity mobilising philosophy, psychoanalysis, politics and science

• Read and download the series editor's preface and the introduction to Adventures in Transcendental Materialism for free now (pdf)
• Read a Q&A between the author, Adrian Johnston, and Speculative Realism series editor Graham Harman (pdf)

Since Bacon, Gallileo and Descartes in the early 17th century, the relations between science and religion as well as mind and body have remained volatile fault lines of conflict. The controversies surrounding these relations are as alive and pressing now as at any point over the course of the past four centuries.

Adrian Johnston’s transcendental materialism offers a new theoretical approach to these issues. Arming himself with resources provided by German idealism, Marxism, psychoanalysis, the life sciences and contemporary philosophical developments, Johnston formulates an account of subjectivity that, although being both materialist and naturalist, does full justice to human beings as irreducible to natural matter alone. At the same time he argues against relapses into idealisms, dualisms and spiritualisms.

Adventures in Transcendental Materialism elaborates Johnston’s position through critical engagements with some of today’s most important thinkers including Slavoj Žižek, Alain Badiou, Catherine Malabou, Jean-Claude Milner, Martin Hägglund, William Connolly, and Jane Bennett.

Key Features

• Critically engages with some of today’s most important thinkers, including Slavoj Žižek, Alain Badiou, Catherine Malabou, Jean-Claude Milner, Martin Hägglund, William Connolly and Jane Bennett
• Johnston is a collaborator and interlocutor with Badiou, Žižek, and Malabou, and this book contains material from ongoing debates between him and these three authors
• Combines Continental-style philosophy with the empirical sciences
• Split into 3 parts: I. Žižek: Dossier of an Ongoing Debate; II. Psychoanalysis: The Unconscious between Philosophy, Science and Religion; III. Politics: True and False Utopias