CONTRIBUTI / 5 / Tommaso Guariento /
With this article, I intend to propose a comprehensive introduction to Nick Land’s philosophy, taking into account all of his philosophical writings and identifying three main phases of his thought. The first is characterized by the development of libidinal materialism through Kant’s metaphysics and aesthetics, Freud’s Todestrieb and Bataille’s dépense. The second is focused on Deleuze and Guattari’s schizoanalysis, cyberpunk imaginary and the composition of hyperstitional texts, like Meltdown and Machinic Desire. The last phase, inseparable from his association with the CCRU, leads towards the invention of geotraumatics and complex numerological practices. Eventually, I will try to analyze the ambiguities of Land’s thought, especially within the context of his neoreactionary turn. The viral power of hyperstitions is opposed to the teleological becoming-machine of humanity, creating a dead end. Reza Negarestani’s conceptualization of human nature as upgradable entity seems to me the only possible follow-up to Land’s original project of ‘escaping the Human Security System’.
