New Materialism: Interviews and Cartographies

Abstract

The book New Materialism presents a collection of interviews and essays aimed at mapping the emerging philosophical tradition of new materialism. Edited by Rick Dolphijn and Iris van der Tuin, it avoids providing a definitive definition or boundary for this tradition, instead creating an 'open cartography' to guide readers through its conceptual landscape. Contributors such as Rosi Braidotti, Manuel DeLanda, Karen Barad, and Quentin Meillassoux explore the rejection of dualism (e.g., mind-body, essence-matter) and emphasize materiality as a dynamic, relational force shaped by social power structures. The review highlights the book’s strength in its pluralistic approach, presenting diverse perspectives that collectively illuminate different facets of new materialism. Braidotti’s feminist perspective is particularly noted for critiquing American feminism’s dualistic tendencies while advocating for an embodied, power-inflected materiality. The book resists a single methodological framework, instead allowing contributors to explore new materialism through varied philosophical, political, and social lenses. Its emphasis on 'orientation' over rigid definition aligns with a process-oriented, relational ontology central to new materialist thought.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)