Essentialism and Correlationism

[danhep 3]

These words pop up frequently in some stuff I'm reading (OOO and Race stuff)... what do they mean?

[Theparanoiacmachine 1676]

correlationism is the idea that the object world can't exist without subjects and vice-versa

 

The easiest way to understand it is by looking at the differences between epistemic realism and ontological realism (as per Levi Bryant).

 

Just an FYI - Other than having killer FW cards from his BLOG (i.e. not his book); most of his criticism directed towards correlationism is pretty stupid; his method (object-oriented ontology) isn't really a method inasmuch it is, rather, a way to view the world. He specifically writes on his blog (lol) that an ontology does not prescribe, or rather, direct a way in which we should act; but is rather more of a description of reality that we can accept and then choose to do something in relation to that. In his blog post; if I remember correctly; he explains how if one were to think that everything is produced by fire (as in even atoms, molecules, etc.); and if we were to accept that, that acceptance of that ontology of fire wouldn't PRESCRIBE any form of action but merely be an acceptance that the world is produced entirely by fire 

 

But if you insist on pursuing a K centered on OOO; please refer to my signature below 

Edited August 11, 2015 by Theparanoiacmachine

[Phantom707 1012]

Essentialism basically means treating all members of a category as having some common characteristic that is critical to their membership in said category. For example, it would be essentialist to say that all people of [insert race] like [insert stereotypical food] and that their liking of that food is what defines them as a member of that race.

 

The term comes from the word essential. The belief is that some characteristic is essential for their identity.

 

Of course, in critical race theories, essentialism is discussed heavily. There are some people who think that there are essential characteristics for a race while others thinkt that saying that leaves a lot of people behind, leaves a lot undiscussed and ignored.