In Conversation: The Antinomies of Afropessimism
New Books in Critical Theory
Deep Dive
What is the main theoretical thrust of Afro-pessimism?
Afro-pessimism argues that Black people experience a unique grammar of suffering that is unaddressable by humanist discourses, including liberalism, post-colonialism, and the Black radical tradition. It breaks epistemologically with the civil rights and Black Power movements, challenging both the liberal and revolutionary humanist subjects, which it sees as antithetical to the Black subject still inscribed in the position of the slave.
How does Afro-pessimism critique the civil rights and Black Power movements?
Afro-pessimism critiques the civil rights movement for attempting to translate Black suffering into liberal democratic terms, which it sees as unsuccessful in addressing racism and white supremacy. It also critiques the Black Power movement for failing to challenge the system fundamentally, despite recognizing racism as intrinsic to it, because it retained a commitment to a humanist subject.
What are the four key contributions of Afro-pessimism to contemporary Black political thought?
Afro-pessimism highlights four key ideas: 1) Black political movements within liberal democratic systems appeal to an emancipatory humanism that excludes Black populations, leading to futility. 2) It identifies a libidinal economy intertwined with political economy that circulates Blackness as a phobic object globally. 3) It exposes the structural nature of gratuitous violence against Black populations. 4) It argues that anti-Blackness is a distinctive racial force that cannot be subsumed under generic racism.
How does Afro-pessimism differentiate anti-Blackness from white supremacy?
Afro-pessimism shifts the focus from white supremacy to anti-Blackness, arguing that anti-Blackness is a more fundamental structuring principle of the world. While white supremacy creates racialized subjects, anti-Blackness specifically targets Blackness as a unique form of violence and exclusion, making it distinct from other forms of racism or colonial oppression.
What is the concept of social death in Afro-pessimism?
Social death in Afro-pessimism, derived from Orlando Patterson's work, refers to the condition of the slave marked by dishonor, gratuitous violence, and natal alienation. It is seen as an ontological category that describes the Black subject's position as non-relational and outside the human. However, critics argue that this concept erases the resilience and cultural ingenuity of Black communities.
How does Afro-pessimism view the relationship between the Black subject and the human?
Afro-pessimism posits a fundamental structural antagonism between the Black subject and the human, arguing that the Black subject is constitutively outside the human. This relationship is marked by gratuitous violence against Black people, which is seen as paradigmatic rather than contingent, and is central to the world's ontological structure.
What are the theoretical inconsistencies in Afro-pessimism?
Afro-pessimism faces theoretical inconsistencies, such as using humanistic legal categories like murder and genocide to describe violence against Black people, which contradicts its claim that Blackness is outside the human. Additionally, the concept of social death is critiqued for erasing Black resistance and cultural resilience, and the focus on anti-Blackness as a structuring principle lacks a coherent historical account.
How does Afro-pessimism address the question of Black resistance?
Afro-pessimism largely depoliticizes Black resistance by framing the Black subject as socially dead and non-relational. However, critics argue that this erases the historical and ongoing resistance of Black communities, which challenges the notion of an anti-Black world and suggests that Blackness is constitutively resistant to anti-Blackness.
What is the role of ontology in Afro-pessimism?
Ontology in Afro-pessimism is central, as it seeks to define the fundamental structure of reality in terms of the antagonism between the Black subject and the human. However, critics argue that Afro-pessimism's ontological framework often mirrors the perspective of the white man, neglecting the possibility of an ontological account from the perspective of the enslaved or resistant Black subject.
- Afro-pessimism challenges humanist discourse's ability to address Black suffering.
- It critiques both the civil rights movement's reliance on liberal humanism and the Black Power movement's limitations.
- It posits a fundamental structural antagonism between the human and the Black.
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