BRUTALISM: AN ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS OF MODERNITY FROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

The book "Brutalism" is a fascinating journey through modernity, seen through the eyes of an African intellectual. Achille Mbembe, the author of this publication, combines elements of critical theory, postcolonial thought, and psychoanalysis to offer the reader a unique perspective on global challenges.

• Original diagnosis of modernity
• African perspective on global problems
• Combination of critical theory, postcolonial thought, and psychoanalysis
• Metaphor of brutalism as a reflection of our era
• Analysis of the impact of capitalism on the planet and human bodies
• Critique of digital technologies that deepen the politics of extraction
• Reflections on the racist politics of segregation and sorting of people

In his book, Mbembe uses the term "brutalism" as a metaphor for our era, in which greedy capitalism ruthlessly destroys and exploits both the planet and human bodies. The author analyzes how digital technologies paradoxically deepen this politics of extraction, contributing to the demise of all living things. They also enable the practice of racist politics of segregation and sorting of people on an unprecedented scale, turning them into moving body-borders that can never find their place.

In the face of fear of the "great replacement" of the white population, Mbembe notes that a real process of replacing people with digital avatars and intelligent machines is taking place. The body becomes a tool for achieving momentary pleasure or an object subjected to thermopolitical treatment. Digital neoliberalism has led to the unconscious erupting in paroxysms of narcissistic hedonism and masculinism.

Africa, subjected to colonial violence and resource extraction for centuries, becomes a laboratory of brutalist practices. It is in African thought, history, and experience that Mbembe seeks answers to the questions of how to repair the destruction and develop new forms of global coexistence. This book is an important voice in the discussion about the future of our planet and humanity.

Karakter Publishing presents this publication in paperback, with 272 pages. The book format is 228x588 mm, and the year of publication is 2024. "Brutalism" is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary social, political, and cultural issues.