Spectres of Pessimism: A Cultural Logic of the Worst

Philosophical pessimism can provide valuable insights for contemporary cultural studies by challenging notions of temporality, progress, and futurity. It can help make sense of an increasingly complex and uncertain world by affirming rather than suppressing the worst. A cultural logic of the worst is at work in various contemporary philosophical and cultural representations, and Mark Schmitt couples pessimism and hauntology to explore these spectres in various theories and narratives.

Format: Hardback
Length: 138 pages
Publication date: 16 March 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

Pessimist thought provides valuable insights for contemporary cultural studies, offering a framework to interrogate concepts of temporality, progress, and futurity. In a world where the prospect of apocalypse and extinction casts a shadow on our future expectations, exploring pessimist ideas can help us make sense of a complex and uncertain world by affirming rather than suppressing the worst. This book argues that a cultural logic of the worst is prevalent in a significant portion of contemporary philosophical thought and cultural representations.

Spectres of pessimism can be observed in various fields, including ecocritical thought, antinatalist philosophies, political thought, cultural theory, literature, film, and popular music. This new pessimism shares similarities with hauntology, which deconstructs linear narratives of time that adhere to a stable sequence of past, present, and future. Mark Schmitt explores the presence of pessimism in various theories and narratives, ranging from ecocriticism, antinatalism, queer theory, utopianism, afropessimism, to the works of Hari Kunzru, Thomas Ligotti, Camille Griffin, Gaspar Noé, Denis Villeneuve, and Lars von Trier.

By acknowledging and confronting the darker aspects of human existence, pessimist thought can offer a fresh perspective on cultural phenomena and help us navigate the challenges of our time. It encourages us to think critically about the potential consequences of our actions and to consider alternative ways of understanding and responding to the world around us. Ultimately, pessimism can inspire us to cultivate a deeper sense of empathy, compassion, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Weight: 333g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031253508
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023