Onto-Cartography
An Ontology of Machines and Media
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Edinburgh University Press
Published:17th Mar '14
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

This book explores the interplay between material agencies and social structures, proposing a new understanding of ecosystems. Onto-Cartography offers a fresh perspective on culture and nature.
In Onto-Cartography, the author delves into the intricate ways in which material agencies shape our social and ecological relationships. The work presents a robust defense of naturalism and materialism, offering a transformative perspective that emphasizes the role of nature in the formation of culture. By advocating for a pan-ecological theory of being, the author argues that societies should be viewed as ecosystems, where both nonhuman entities—like rivers and mountain ranges—and human constructs—such as discourses and ideologies—play crucial roles in understanding our world.
The book lays the groundwork for a new machine-oriented ontology, proposing that the interconnections between various agencies are essential for comprehending the complexity of social structures. Drawing from a wide array of disciplines, including deconstruction, psychoanalysis, Marxism, and actor-network theory, Onto-Cartography presents a theoretically rich analysis that challenges conventional boundaries of thought. This interdisciplinary approach not only enhances the discussion surrounding nonhumans and material existence but also creates a valuable framework for integrating insights from critical theory and social constructivism.
Ultimately, Onto-Cartography invites readers to reconsider the relationships between culture and nature, urging a more inclusive understanding of the agents that influence our lives. Through its innovative perspective, the book encourages a reevaluation of how we engage with the material world and the myriad ways it intersects with human experience.
This book finally rescues materialism from the dilution of social historical theory. But rather than rejecting the lessons of Marxism, Bryant substantially extends the material underpinnings of life. Lucid, far-reaching, and urgent, Onto-Cartographies is the book many object-oriented ontology skeptics have been waiting for. * Ian Bogost, Georgia Institute of Technology *
Bryant's ecological focus on the crucial interaction of the corporeal and incorporeal makes his contribution extremely important ... The sturdiest bridge yet built between post-structuralism and the vibrant new research being conducted under the auspices of a return to materialist thought. -- Ian Lowrie, Rice University * Los Angeles Review of Books *
ISBN: 9780748679966
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 606g
312 pages