# Speculative Realism #Philosophy #study [[Confessions of a speculative realist]] Speculative realism is a philosophical movement within contemporary continental philosophy that critiques the idea that reality can only be understood through our human perception, arguing for a "real" world that exists independently of our ability to know it, thus challenging the dominant philosophical concept of "correlationism" which posits that thought and being are always intertwined; it aims to speculate about the nature of reality beyond human experience, often focusing on the inherent qualities of objects rather than our subjective interpretation of them. ### Key Points - Anti-correlationism: The central critique is against "correlationism," a term coined by Quentin Meillassoux, which refers to the idea that we can only ever access reality through our own perspective, meaning there is no "real" outside of our perception. - Object-oriented ontology (OOO): One prominent approach within speculative realism is Graham Harman's OOO, which emphasizes the independent existence of objects and their "withdrawn" nature, meaning that objects have a reality that exceeds our ability to fully grasp it. - Speculative materialism: Another key figure, Quentin Meillassoux, proposes "speculative materialism," which argues for a reality that is not necessarily contingent on our experience and can be accessed through concepts like "the principle of factiality". - Beyond human-centricity: Speculative realism seeks to move beyond a solely human-centered view of the world, exploring the inherent qualities and potential of non-human entities like objects, matter, and even the universe itself. ### Key People - Quentin Meillassoux: Developed the concept of "correlationism" and "speculative materialism" - Graham Harman: Proponent of object-oriented ontology (OOO) - Ray Brassier: Known for his more "eliminativist" approach within speculative realism - Iain Hamilton Grant: Focuses on a Deleuze-Schellingian interpretation of vitalism