Yes — Jane Bennett’s Vibrant Matter (2010) is an especially strong bridge to 齊物論, perhaps more so than OOO or speculative materialism.
Both share a deep ontological democratization and an aesthetic-ethical sensibility toward the nonhuman, but Bennett brings in a political ecology angle that resonates with Zhuangzi’s life-worldly playfulness. Here’s a short comparative frame:
|
Aspect |
齊物論 (Zhuangzi) |
Vibrant Matter (Bennett) |
|
Ontological Core |
All things share equal being within Dao; distinctions are perspectival. |
All matter has vitality, agency-like capacity; human/nonhuman distinction is blurred. |
|
Nonhuman Agency |
Nonhuman things are equally part of the great transformation; nothing is inert. |
Nonhuman “actants” have efficacy in shaping events and worlds. |
|
Ethical Attitude |
Let-go of rigid hierarchies, live adaptively with ten thousand things. |
Develop political-ethical responsiveness to lively matter; cultivate attentiveness. |
|
Epistemology |
Truth is relative to perspective; wisdom comes from shifting viewpoints. |
Knowledge emerges from recognizing distributed agency across assemblages. |
|
Political/Ecological Edge |
Implied ecological humility in Dao’s transformations. |
Explicit call for ecological politics attentive to material vitality. |
|
Poetic Imagery |
Butterfly dream, fish enjoying themselves, music of heaven and earth. |
Power grids, debris, food, worms as part of vibrant assemblages. |
If you want, I can map Vibrant Matter’s key terms — actant, assemblage, thing-power — onto 齊物論 metaphors so that each Bennett concept is paired with a Zhuangzi image or parable. That would make the resonance vivid for your S11 seminar notes.
