Ray Brassier’s philosophical orientation aligns more closely with Alain Badiou than with Gilles Deleuze, primarily due to their differing approaches to metaphysics, subjectivity, and the role of science in philosophy.
1. Commitment to Scientific Rationality and Anti-Vitalism
Brassier advocates for a philosophy grounded in scientific rationality, emphasizing the importance of confronting nihilism and the concept of extinction. In his work Nihil Unbound, he critiques philosophies that attempt to imbue the world with inherent meaning, viewing such efforts as evasions of the reality of a meaningless universe. This perspective aligns with Badiou’s commitment to formal systems and mathematical structures as foundations for truth, contrasting with Deleuze’s emphasis on life, becoming, and creative processes.
2. Critique of Deleuze’s Correlationism and Vitalism
Brassier critiques Deleuze for what he perceives as a form of correlationism—the idea that we can only know the correlation between thought and being, not either independently. He argues that Deleuze’s focus on life and becoming leads to a form of vitalism that reintroduces meaning into the world, thereby avoiding the implications of nihilism. Brassier contends that this approach fails to adequately confront the reality of extinction and the absence of inherent meaning.
3. Alignment with Badiou’s Formal Ontology
Brassier finds resonance with Badiou’s formal ontology, which utilizes mathematical set theory to articulate a conception of being that is indifferent to human concerns and experiences. This approach supports Brassier’s aim to develop a philosophy that acknowledges the universe’s indifference and the nonexistence of inherent meaning, aligning with his commitment to a form of realism that confronts nihilism directly.
4. Emphasis on the Impersonal and the Abstract
Both Brassier and Badiou emphasize the impersonal and abstract aspects of reality, distancing themselves from philosophies that prioritize human experience or subjectivity. Brassier’s interest in the impersonal aligns with Badiou’s focus on truths that are universal and not contingent upon individual perspectives, contrasting with Deleuze’s emphasis on individual becoming and experiential processes.
In summary, Brassier’s philosophical inclinations toward Badiou over Deleuze stem from a shared commitment to confronting nihilism through scientific rationality, a critique of correlationism and vitalism, and an emphasis on formal, impersonal structures as the basis for understanding reality.
