Brutalismo

Achille Mbembe examines the fundamental principles and political consequences of a new world order driven by both abstract rationalities and animist aspirations. In this brief essay, he explores how the capital now permeates all aspects of existence, shaping societies according to the same directive as the Big Data. The old world of bodies, distances, spaces, objects, and borders continues to exist despite this transformation. Meanwhile, we witness a spectacular resurgence of animism alongside the expansion of quantification, leading to an unprecedented acceleration in the digitalization of humanity. This digitalization and its counterpart, the humanization of objects and machines, give rise to the concept of brutalism - a term Mbembe defines as the tight overlap between economic thought, electronic systems, and biology. Mbembe's new essay delves into the political implications of this technological system and proposes solutions to pressing issues such as overpopulation, security protocols, human migration, climate change, and the future of life and reason. At its core, the brutalism project is one of transforming humanity into matter and energy.