Accelerationism

Written by Rubsy

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/11/accelerationism-how-a-fringe-philosophy-predicted-the-future-we-live-in?CMP=share_btn_fb

I hadn’t heard  of accelerationism before but am familiar with many of the concepts through the Internet, like for example a blurring of left and right politics.  The left wing embracement of accerationism seems to be the argument that humans/the planet, have not experienced full blown capitalism yet as we have protected ourselves through politics, and if it was embraced there would be an end to Capitalism. This comes from Marxist ideeas about the last phase of Capitalism. They explain reactionary ideas an their uprising as a wish to slow down this accelaration that is experienced  in the last phase, where we should contrarily speed it up, in order to overthrow, a very big gamble in my view, as in history there has only been struggle and resistance.

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0 thoughts on “Accelerationism”

  1. They must feel safe or suicidal. We fear things because we feel that they might actually impact us in ways we can not control or protect ourselves from, so rushing into anything sounds like the sort of thing someone very confident in their safety or very much unconcerned for their safety might be interested in promoting while others literally afraid of trouble and disability and death, concerned for their lives and ability to operate becoming troubled or having to learn new coping technologies would be concerned with. I dread anything drastic, especially anything which asks me to think or work or participate or cooperate.

    As a human being, an animal, my main concern is food and shelter and health and luxuries and comforts and possessions.

  2. Yes the comfortable academics in a way. Why do they think their theories will all work out with the ends they envision ? Also I thought coming from the post humanist school of thought, that they would be more tentative about achieving ends, like the next phase or end of Capitalism. I suspect a disguised ‘scientism’  perhaps based in the Marxist theory of the ‘progressiveness of history’ , which I think is the most difficult part of Marxist theory.

  3. I agree and I think these modern academics are not seeming to be at the same level as their predecessors generation after generation in many cases which almost looks like an overall deterioration of standards and immaturity stemming from over-specialization whereas the older generations each seemed more broad in their educations and areas of interest and writing which seemed to give more overall wisdom to to their writing. In the case of each generation afterwards their fields seemed to become increasingly more tight, narrow, and restricted leading towards ideas which don’t seem to take into account enough overall information or “the real world” which has numerous impacted fields with any event or action. Touch the water or the web and the whole thing shakes, and an immature or inaccurate conception just doesn’t simulate the animation correctly or is far too zoomed in. Either that or they are just frankly stupid and belligerent, getting some endorphins from saying radical things that young students might get excited about. This “shouting as philosophy” as been the trend also in colleges since around and after the 60’s until it became the norm after younger teachers, the shouters and the children of the shouters and their students, became the reigning population. At this point, like in any rock-star revolution, the lyrics don’t need to make sense, but the opinions need to be essentially phallic and vital, the same as Hitler demonstrated and gained female admiration for (representatives of resources and prestige, the true crown of conceptual society, if you have the women, one way or the other by whatever means, you have the nation, and it doesn’t mean women are empowered or even aware of their key role in power and domination of human resources and society and societal interactions).
    [hr]
    Anything which demonstrates vigor earns the attraction and attention of certain demographics, and produces for the resource champion a positive sensation and feeling of achievement and reward. They might call this whole thing a sort of careless exercise of stimulation which comes from increasingly hedonistic apathy from resentful and helpless feeling academics who may feel unrewarded or overshadowed by the past and unable to compete, so take instead to gaining groupies instead. I can understand that if it is true, and I have personally interacted with people like this on an intimate and private level to investigate aspects of their personality, desires, and dissapointments. There is a lot of restlessness because there seems to be so much to do and no way to do it, lots of pressures including biological pressures without a system to achieve them or prioritize them, so then chaotic sort of reactive philosophies seem to arise much more out of cathartic exhaustion than an exercise of anything more serious than a cry of pain. The kind which is self-absorbed, rather than sympathetic. This is a form of the Nihilism talked about or predicted at times. It seems to be a very real thing even while not acknowledged as such when it means pain leading to self absorbtion causing ignorance and apathy and aimlessly destructive measures like Terrorism or any sort of highly abrasive or abrupt sort of actions on people.
    [hr]
    Despite its causes or motives, overall the whole idea sounds very inconsiderate and destructive, made without any apoarent concern for who might really suffer and that suffering can not be justified, even for the sake of non-existent hypothetical future pleasure vessels that are often supposed in anything promoted as eventually good. Who cares if some future person is happy while generations were made to struggle and suffer and take it out on each other at the time. In my view the best policies are those which seriously take into account the current population, not just the future or appeals to the past. If it neglects Now then it is us who pay the price.
    [hr]
    What is important right now, is what is always the most important. “Creature comforts for all creatures” and work to create an ideal experience for every individual, thus reducing anxiety overall and the stressors which cause societal woes and problems including crime, hatred, and disease.
    [hr]
    If a Left Wing Right Wing Communist Capitalist plan is inconsiderate, it has lost the plot, and become possessed by winning for what isn’t real and doesn’t matter or exist because it isn’t “matter”. We matter because we are “matter”. The animals, trees and plants, bugs, and us. When people become obsessed with their symbolic representation of themselves (their idea) winning they have lost themselves and their humanity to become a slave to their symbol or projection, they’ve got it backwards and it leads to backwards results. Something which can never truly support life is given permisdion to take and take over lives and then acts destructively because it is itself a dead and lifeless uncaring thing.

  4. I am not anti academic, the accelaration theory has had a big effect on politics. The Guardian article may of been over simplifying the movement and it did paint a distopic picture of the people involved, as in their all being depressed and hedonistic. Just thought it was good to be aware of these arguments so you can take a position on these ideas and see them underneath a lot of presentations, like Trump, Blair etc. Those political arguments that say we should let this happen so that the oppression will be too much and then over thrown.

    Sent from my SM-J320FN using Tapatalk

  5. Its great that you brought it up. I have a bad impression of modern philosophers and thinkers as well as politicians and pundits who give me the impression of having too limited a scope of interest whatever it may be and really what it might come down to is not being ethical or spiritual or superstitious enough to really be trusted. The people I trust the most are the people who can not actually rationalize why they shouldn’t do something but are sensitive and sympathetic in an almost superstitious way. They won’t kill “just because” except when really necessary seeming or in relatable or acceptable seeming ways. The people attracted to many of these things are at their core, regardless of their affiliations, not spiritual simpletons who I would much prefer. Each one is inherently atheistic seeming, concerned about dead things more than living things in every case if examined carefully. Why do people matter? Answering the question is already an insult to humanity. There is no justification necessary for goodness, justifying it, as it can be, is already a step towards rationalizing and with that comes all sorts of rationalizations and weaponry because its a step towards mechanization rather than an organic core which was never born from rationality.
    [hr]
    I personally hate to say it even because I am all about justification, but I also know that the people I trust are those who are tamed by irrational morality and biological ethics, animals. I can trust animals, I can not trust anything above or beyond that.
    [hr]
    An animal wants to live, a human being wants the dead to live, wants ideas and organizations and structures to live, a God or The God makes anything live that lives. Man wants to be like God, God gets what God wants, and animals want the basics. Ambition leads people into trying to make bigger than themselves structures to represent them.

  6. The comfortable well fed animal – I am not buying that. Everywhere I hear this, ‘well there isn’t starvation and poverty in my life, so I see no reason to take these things seriously’ kind of chatter.

    Accelerationism gathers pace due to apathy and the religion of comfort.

  7. I think the view that capitalism will collapse due to inherent contradictions is very wishful thinking and it seems like alienation, while inevitable, is a state we are having to swallow in the same way that neoliberal ideological axioms are swallowed, i.e. ‘greed is good’.
    [hr]
    Dostoyevsky is important here – man is an animal that can get used to anything.

  8. Not all academics are accelerationists.

    Accelerationism relies on the narcissistic belief that, if things got worse, people who were uninformed of systemic problems would come to see the same objective truth you see, because it’s so obvious. When in reality, the perception of systemic problems can be shaped heavily by media, and those who are in power are going to have a better chance of coordinating their media to shape uninformed people’s perceptions, and in doing so, convince them to work in ways to reinforce their positions of power. (see: the absolute Republican control over Kansas, even as the entire state goes further down the drain).

    The Weimar Republic is the most notorious example that this revolutionary strategy could just as well backfire and send the working class heading into the complete opposite direction. This is especially true when the Communist Party uses some of the same antisemitic and nationalist talking points as the fascists.

    Turning the former regime to ash does not automatically guarantee that something better will replace it and one may in fact end up with something that much harder to move away from. The political barometer does not suddenly reset to zero like resetting the mileage counter on a car; it can just shift to a position that’s even harder to work to a better state from, if even at all. People wishing for change have to start from where they are now and do the hard, grinding toil of making it better every step of the way and clawing every scrap of progress and not give up their ground instead of resigning themselves to waiting for complete overthrow to start from the ruins of the old order.

  9. I like the move to the left that is in the Guardian article: 

    “Capitalism has begun to constrain the productive forces of technology,” they wrote. “[Our version of] accelerationism is the basic belief that these capacities can and should be let loose … repurposed towards common ends … towards an alternative modernity.” 

    I would exchange ends for means here, but in essence, the world we were promised is radically different to the one we have in regards to technology. It was supposed to free us up.

  12. I read it in Richard Harlands book Superstructuralism towards the end.

    I’m just looking around now for more quotes.
    [hr]
    Here is a PDF I just found that might be of interest here: http://sfbay-anarchists.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/benjamin-noys-excerpt.pdf


  13. The comfortable well fed animal – I am not buying that. Everywhere I hear this, ‘well there isn’t starvation and poverty in my life, so I see no reason to take these things seriously’ kind of chatter.

    Accelerationism gathers pace due to apathy and the religion of comfort.

    That is true, but I don’t see people who are psychologically stable and fulfilled going out and robbing people.

    The idea is, if you can get luxurious goods for free or cheaply or like anyone else and are on an equal standing and not mentally ill, why would you rob someone for it? If you do rob someone without sense or cause you are mad.

    Enough studies seemto have been conducted showing a link between restricted resources and big differences in goods and means with increased criminality and violence among the more constrained and deprived group. Even in tribes, the tribes that were well fed were complacent and quiet, the tribes with restricted resources had developed extremely violent cultures and were maniacs. Complacency and “flabbiness” is what we are looking for in many ways. A tame society and a culture of easy free access and gardens and decency and manners. Not this sh*t. Where people feel they can’t afford things so might want to steal, where food is expensive so people are hungry and angry and have to say no to their urges or sublimate their failed ability to get a tub of complacency juiced fried chicken with rape and procreation.

    The more complacent and having needs met comfortably without strain, the less population and population growth too. When the animals are starving but not completely starved to death, they seem to breed wildly as a survival mechanism.

  15. Gosh what the heck lol. I don’t welcome any such thing that might put my complacency at risk or my person under threat of dominating force or unpleasant impact. The dream is to never work, to only play, and to live long and prosperously without effort. The elimination of struggle, pain, difficulty, discomfort, and immunity from conflict and tension. Literally to become increasingly invulnerable, able to get what I want with less and less effort just like if I wonder a thing I can find an answer usually online like if some actress is married. I want food to be like that too and medicine. I say I want this and there it is, no traveling, no wait. The healing machines keeping my body in perfect health and order and youth. When you are perfectly well, then what excuse is there except some incurable madness to go around stealing, raping, killing.

  16. As regards the PDF – there’s an interesting part about CCRU and Nick Land of Warwick, who wanted to dissolve the form of the subject and fully immerse into a post-human delerious state of capital itself, which went along with discussions of the New Right and what the author of the PDF terms Deleuzean Thatcherism!

    That is interesting, as there was a huge movement from the right online that promoted the whole ‘dissolve the ego’ element, which sounded really spiritual and enlightening, but seems to have led the masses into a forced schizophrenia of sorts that fully accepts capital as the way to go.

  20. Findanewtermism seems to be what is going on. Addadistinctionorsmallclauseandseeifthatwillworktomakeyoualittlemorefamouseism

    I’ve seen lots of it. No no, it isn’t that! My version has a pink scarf!

  21. Accelerationism is a term used to describe a general mindset of progress and is heavily laden with scientism which is an overinflated faith in the scientific method as the only way to solve all of the worlds problems.
    [hr]
    Well, that’s one of the most problematic aspects of it anyway, it is still yet to be fully defined.

  24. Could you? I don’t have a first article on the matter. I can make one called The Follies of Scientistic Egotism but don’t have much more to say on it since I wanted your writing on the matter.

  26. I can open the thread and when you are ready you can put your work and ideas into it once you have refreshed a bit on the topic. It is really important because everyone has gone science crazy and it is damaging philosophy and inquiry as well. Its been given as a baseball bat in the hands of the mentally under developed.

  27. Accelerationism seems to be a very new and not that well defined theory. I have resevations, but am still interested. At the moment I think I am most intersted in the way the ideas have translated into politics and films etc.

  28. How would you define it? It sounds like it refers to policies meant to encourage anything which maximizes certain elements towards extremes to at the very least see what happens and at the very most to manifest particular theoretical results and ends.

  29. I think it is based in it’s worst manifestation on the disillusionment of the individual as the final vestige of society. That is there will not be an I and you in the same way. The self will be anhilated by Capitalism and unable to will anymore, consumed by incorporated Capitalistic desires. This may lead to transhumanism , where we transcend physically by becoming part man part machine and become the ultimate vechile for science.

    Sent from my SM-J320FN using Tapatalk

  32. Haha gosh that is so freaky. I feel like some of the people who want this are lost in fantasies which don’t even make sense. Like getting excited about things they won’t even be present to experience.


  33. I like the move to the left that is in the Guardian article: 

    “Capitalism has begun to constrain the productive forces of technology,” they wrote. “[Our version of] accelerationism is the basic belief that these capacities can and should be let loose … repurposed towards common ends … towards an alternative modernity.” 

    I would exchange ends for means here, but in essence, the world we were promised is radically different to the one we have in regards to technology. It was supposed to free us up.

    Found this which looks interesting…collected writings of Nick Land

    Fanged Noumena: Collected Writings 1987-2007 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/095530878X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jxJfzbR99PE7M

  36. The movie The Matrix is heavily influenced by Jean Baudrillard and his book Simulacra and Simulation even appears in the movie as the stash for the hardware Neo sells to his hacker friend near the start of the movie.

    I am watching it again today to see how much of this post human language I can spot in it. The main attraction of the movie is Baudrillards’ Hyperrealism.

  37. You might want to see the two Ghost in a Shell cartoon series also, I think they might also mention Jean Baudrillard directly as well. Especially in the Solid State one. I think they are called Gig 1 and Gig 2, but anyway Japan is wild about these ideas in their cartoons and have the ideas show up repeatedly, Digimon, Serial Experiments Lain, Inception was inspired by Paprika, Sword Art Online. These ideas seem to pop up in games as well which is funny because games are the closest thing we have to seeing how its done without realizing its done or hapoening, games such as Metal Gear Solid try to mix reality and superimpose itself upon it and step out as well as perhaps some horror games, but simulation is a main theme in many, including Infinity Sword or something.

  38. Accelerationism, perhaps it is about ultimate vitalism, an anti anything that gets in the way of creation and invention. If Capitalism gets in the way, if democracy gets in the way, it will be overcome. Anything that is a free rider, is anti vital, should/will be stopped. Land argues that Democracy is a free rider on the back of industrialisation, that it is parasitic and therefore anti vital, because most legislation is just limiting legislation. We can see these ideas behind Trumps current conflict with the American judiciary and Democratic system.

  39. Yes, if you read those two chunks I posted about Vitalism and the Death Drive recently, you may enjoy the discussion in those as they are related to this topic totally. The first of the chunks is in a thread called “Relevant to all topics by all members” or something. It literally covers aspects of things discussed throughout the forum from the start.

  42. No, that one is related but I meant this one: https://ontic-philosophy.com/Thread-RELEVANT-to-ALL-threads-posted-thus-far-by-ALL-members

    Then at the bottom of that it links to the next set and includes other mentions of the themes.
    [hr]
    The Homophobic Death Drive subject is about a desire within a group seeking acceptance actually seeking annihilation and towards being non-entities or equilibrium to the point of dissolution, that the same goals are secretly shared by those seeking acceptance as those seeking abolition. The link https://ontic-philosophy.com/Thread-RELEVANT-to-ALL-threads-posted-thus-far-by-ALL-members is another thread which features dialogue from Bernard Shaw’s philosophical play called Man And Superman about Vitalism and the Death Drive and other things. I posted two different sequential sections, one part is there and the link to the next part is at the bottom of that thread.

  44. Haha I guess the summarizing helps because otherwise people don’t know what the f*ckall I am speaking about.

    Luckily I can explain everything I write about very clearly no matter how mystical and weird it sounds, and all of it is actually true or can be clearly seen to be the case, with ample evidence available for it besides being intuitively acceptable.

    For example, I recently wrote about Britons and Africans, but they, as well as Saracens, are all just code words or briefcases filled with ideas, like a portfolio for a project. It deals with themes or combinations of ideas and how those ideas seem to be present and repeated but not dealing with particular individuals in the most literal modern sense. These themes of sex and labor continue to dominantly permeate music dominantly associated with the African theme through the English language.

    The stuff I am talking about deals with the world of ideas which is on top of or in front of and underneath the world which can not be seen, we literally only have the world of ideas, which makes my writing, though it is mystic in content, about the only reality we know and see.

  47. It’s true that the most terrifying part is not the smashing/deconstruction of the terminator,  but the reconstruction, the relentless reconstructions.

  48. I think humans, like cats, are less stressed without the company of and interference of other cats or other humans or whatever. Anarchy to me represents mostly leaving me alone and staying out of my business and face and not bothering me and socialism to me means or should mean free cookies without work on my part but maybe that could be called Beneficence or Grace or something.

    I mainly am afraid of being bothered, “Hell is other people”, and being pressured or forced to labor for other than myself or towards my interests or goals or to have to serve people in some way to survive.

    My only problem with anythinaccellerationistionisn lol phone is crazy, is that. Technology already being junk and people getting in my face and trying to make my life even worse.

  49. I am definitely like a cat. As to being a human, apart from being antique now, or retrograde, I  think we yearn more for what is lost, we value things much more when they become rare. To be a human takes discipline, to resist merging with the machine. This makes most of us anti-accelerationist,  or stoppist so to speak. Nostalgia, or homesickness has a sadness to it. This is the story of The Odyssey, where supposedly the first individual is born, or the primary story is writen, forever to be rewrote.

  50. The idea is to tear the plaster off and get it over with ASAP! Socialism cannot be seen as monolithic, it has a history with capitalism- someone has to pay for the cookies and that is usually from military intervention overseas.

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