Cultic self-gathering makes the move to pure speculative thought possible

Evidence

When grappling with the uncertain consequences of deregulated markets in their everyday lives, they did not merely (or erroneously) assess risks. Rather, they speculated on the (ethical as well as political) values of oil and petrochemical companies responsible for air and water pollution, and also on the values of the local and federal government involved in the (de)regulation of these industries. This generative and relational function of the speculative imagination is crucial here. Rather than growing apart, Louisianans mobilized that speculative imagination as a means to come together in the face of continuing “broken promises.” By turning to complex webs of mutuality found in religious congregations, in families, and in other local communities, they were able to reallocate moral responsibilities more collectively. In doing so, the idea that “we’re all in this together” helped to cement their sense of belonging to the speculative community, offering a much-needed moral anchoring for hedging their uncertain futures. — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 283 (#expands, via linked claim)

Instead, we must engage the recondite fictions of our time with the same resolve as if we were entering a labyrinth. Faced with repeated crossroads, we cannot know in advance whether they will lead us to an exit, but that does not mean we wander in vain. The labyrinth’s pathways may be puzzling, but they are the outcome of our own digging; their twists and turns are not the whims of “a trickster,” to use Teju Cole’s words. By digging the proverbial labyrinth, speculative communities give form to chaos and create a world that allows them to endure collectively the vicissitudes of financialized everyday life. — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 365 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: The speculative concept is a self-moving process, not a passive substrate — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel: Plasticity,…, 1209; The speculative concept is a self-moving subject that takes its determinations back into itself — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel: Plasticity,…, 1209; Speculative communities emerge from collective imagination, not individual gambling (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Speculative communities emerge from collective imagination, not individual gambling #expands (0.85)
• Speculation is generative and relational, mobilizing collectives rather than atomizing individuals #expands (0.82) — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 283
• Speculative communities give collective form to chaos by digging their own labyrinths #expands (0.80) — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 365
• The speculative concept is a self-moving process, not a passive substrate #complicates (0.75) — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel, 1209
• A structured collectivity can transcend individual finitude without mystical infinity #expands (0.75) — Anna Kornbluh, Immediacy, or The Style of Too Late…, 337
• The speculative concept is a self-moving subject that takes its determinations back into itself #complicates (0.72) — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel, 1209