7/27/2019 Compte Rendu Les Nouveaux Realistes

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REVIEW: LES NOUVEAUX RALISTESby Terence Blake

Review of Alexander Galloway's LES NOUVEAU R!AL"STES #!di$ions L%o Sc&eer ()*(+

1) GENERAL PRESENTATION

LES NOUVEAU R!AL"STES #T,E NE- REAL"STS+ by Alexander Galloway is a book $&a$ai.s a$ /ivin/ a 0nified 1ers1ec$ive on a /ro01 of 2 3renc& $&inkers #4a$&erine 5alabo0 BernardS$ie/ler 5e&di Bel&a6 7ace. 80en$in 5eillasso0x e$ 3ran9ois Lar0elle+ w&o do no$ for. a.ove.en$ b0$ w&o &ave eno0/& of a :fa.ily rese.blance; wi$& eac& o$&er $o allow $&e. $o bedisc0ssed $o/e$&er in a sin/le book< T&e book $&0s con$ains 2 c&a1$ers eac& of w&ic& deals wi$&one of $&e 2 1&iloso1&ers 1l0s a =reface an En$rac$e and a =os$face $&a$ /ive a .ore syn$&e$ic$rea$.en$ele0?e >errida 3o0ca0l$ Lyo$ard+ and $o en/a/e cri$ically wi$& $&eir co..on $&e.es and $&eirindivid0al $&eses< T&e $i$le is sli/&$ly dece1$ive as $&ese $&inkers are nei$&er :new; #cer$ain of $&e.

for exa.1le Bernard S$ie/ler and 3ran9ois Lar0elle &ave a 10blis&ed work s1read o0$ over .ore$&an $wo decades+ nor necessarily :realis$s; #so.e of $&e. s0c& as once a/ain S$ie/ler and Lar0elleare very cri$ical of $&e classical 1&iloso1&ical vocab0lary and &ave elabora$ed bodies of $&o0/&$ $&a$canno$ easily be classified in s0c& $radi$ional $er.s+< 30r$&er $&e book also con$ains an ex$endeddisc0ssion of $&e 1&iloso1&y of Alain Badio0 w&ose s&adow loo.s over $&e w&ole book as &eco.es in a cer$ain sense @be$ween@ $&e $wo in$ellec$0al /enera$ions $&a$ Galloway $&e.a$isesreyf0s and3eyerabend< 3or 5elville once a/ain $&in/s do no$ 0niversally wi$&draw b0$ abo0nd ar/0e bo$&>reyf0s and >ele0?e $&o0/& $&ere is 1ro/ress co.1ared $o ,o.er in $&a$ 5elville #as exe.1lar of$&e 1l0ralis$ 1aradi/.+ does .ake roo. for wi$&drawal as well< Badio0's references $o se$ $&eoryare $ied $o a de$ailed ar/0.en$a$ion in BE"NG AN> EVENT on $&e role of se$ $&eory as anon$olo/y of $&e 10re .0l$i1le< "$ as if Badio0 considers 1os$can$orian se$ $&eory as $&eacco.1lis&ed for.0la$ion of w&a$ was i.1lici$ in $&e 4ar$esian 1ri.acy of $&e co.10$o TABLE+ TABLEw&ere ,ar.an calls &is $able as co.1ared $o $&e $able of everyday life and $&e scien$is$s $able :$&eonly realone; 1*) and :$&e only real$able; 1**< As for $&e everyday $able and $&e scien$ific$ableF :bo$& are equally unreal: bo$& are :0$$er s&a.s; 1M< :-&a$ever we ca1$0re w&a$ever we si$a$ or des$roy is no$ $&e real $able; 1*(< And &e acc0ses o$&ers of :red0c$ionis.;+< To say $&a$ $&ereal ob6ec$ is 0nknowable #:$&e real is so.e$&in/ $&a$ canno$ be known; 1*(+ is an e1is$e.olo/ical$&esis< As is $&e clai. $&a$ $&e ob6ec$ we know $&e everyday or $&e scien$ific ob6ec$ is 0nreal TABLE #M+< ,ar.ans real ob6ec$s are s1a$iali?ed essences $&a$ are absol0$ely a$e.1oral so,ar.an &as a very bi/ 1roble. indeed in acco0n$in/ for $i.e w&ic& is in effec$ 0nreal in &issys$e.F :Ti.e concerns no$&in/ b0$ $&e s01erficial dra.a of s0rface 0ali$ies swirlin/ a$o1 asens0al ob6ec$ $&a$ is so.ew&a$ d0rable b0$ 0l$i.a$ely 0nreal; #in$erview faslanyc+