if a tree falls and no human perceived it . . .
Object-Oriented Ontology (arising from ὄντος, the Greek word for "being"), also known as Speculative realism, is a school of thought spearheaded by the contemporary philosopher Graham Harman. Unlike all previous western philosophies, OOO rejects anthropocentrism, or the privileging of human perception above all other existing object relations.(1) Since the 18th century, beginning with the subjective idealist George Berkeley, we’ve asked ourselves the question:
If a tree falls and no person is there to hear it, does it make a sound?
George might say “to be is to be perceived” (2)
But to OOO this is an arrogant question, since there are plenty of other perceptive beings in the world such as plants and animals, as well as other objects that have multifaceted power relations with that tree, such as the stones it displaces and the dirt that reverberates, and humans, despite our historic addiction to the self-aggrandizement of our own species, are just another object among the others. In other words, human subjectivity does not elevate our status among all the things in the world, everything is of equal importance, according to Object-Oriented Ontology. Harman acknowledges that we are thus constrained by the human subjectivity utilized when attempting to understand objective reality, but he insists, try we must.
OOO has been of special interest to the art world because art embodies the philosophy in a way that is not evident in other fields of study. Just as math is highlighted in Poincaré’s explanations of the world, Harman believes art can point to the reality of the world. This is because art does not claim to represent the subject of which it is referring to-- it creates the appropriate distance from it, without “undermining” (trying to explain it from its smallest components upwards like physics) or “overmining” it (reducing an object to its effects on the world). Similarly to philosophy, art can form a path to a conclusion by negating the conclusions of others, without ever providing an articulate end. (3)
Escher, M.C. Woodcut 24 x 31.9 cm. (9.4 x 12.6 in.). 1952.
“ If nothing else, a counterfactual art history in which Escher looms large is a delightful thought experiment.” -Harman
1. Harman, Graham. Object-Oriented Ontology: a New Theory of Everything. London: Pelican Books, 2018.
2. Flage, Daniel E. “George Berkeley (1685—1753).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. James Madison University. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.iep.utm.edu/berkeley/.
3. “About the Artwork: The Little Yellow House (2012).” Net.Specific. Accessed May 3, 2020. http://netspecific.net/en/communication-paths/michelle-teran/about-the-artwork-the-little-yellow-house-2012.
