Mastery of Non-Mastery in the Age of Meltdown

231 Pages·2020·2.117 MB·English

by  Michael Taussig

Mastery of Non- Mastery
in the Age of Meltdown
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MASTERY OF
NON- MASTERY
IN THE AGE
Michael OF MELTDOWN
Taussig
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and London
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The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2020 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief
quotations in critical articles and reviews. For more information, contact
the University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637.
Published 2020
Printed in the United States of America
29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 68458- 1 (cloth)
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 69867- 0 (paper)
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 69870- 0 (e- book)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226698700.001.0001
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Taussig, Michael T., author.
Title: Mastery of non- mastery in the age of meltdown / Michael Taussig.
Description: Chicago ; London : University of Chicago Press, 2020. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019046588 | ISBN 9780226684581 (cloth) |
ISBN 9780226698670 (paperback) | ISBN 9780226698700 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Human ecology—Philosophy. | Nature and civilization. |
Civilization, Modern—21st century. | Human ecology in art.
Classification: LCC GF21 .T38 2020 | DDC 304.201—dc23
LC record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/2019046588
♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992
(Permanence of Paper).
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For a Green New Deal
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The last night that she lived
It was a common night,
Except the dying; this to us
Made nature different
We noticed smallest things,—
Things overlooked before,
By this grand light upon our minds
Italicized, as ’t were.
EmILy DICkINSON
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CONTENTS
SmOkE AND mIrrOrS 1
1 | mImETIC ExCESS 5
2 | THE ExpOSITION OF THE NON- DOGmATIC
CANNOT BE DOGmATIC 10
3 | NIETZSCHE’S TuNING FOrk, kAFkA’S SIrENS 13
4 | TwILIGHT OF THE IDOLS 23
5 | CATASTrOpHE: THE SOLAr INvErSION
OF SATANIC DENIAL 29
6 | mETAmOrpHIC SuBLImITy 44
7 | rE- ENCHANTmENT OF NATurE 54
8 | IN yOur BONES yOu kNOw OTHErwISE 61
9 | pLANETArIum 71
10 | SuNSET 80
11 | IN THE BEGINNING wAS THE FIrEFLy 94
12 | THE SuN IS AN INDIAN SHAmAN 102
13 | LIGHTNING 116
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