"TRANSNOUMENALISM" AND OBJECT-ORIENTED ONTOLOGY: REAL, IMAGINARY AND CONSTITUTION OF OBJECTIVITY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF SPECULATIVE REALISM

Abstract

The article investigates place of an object in the field of speculative realism in general and objectoriented ontology in particular. It describes object’s special and ambiguous position given to it by OOO as opposed to “correlational” approach. Critics of correlational philosophy concerning objects and speculative approach opposing to it (including the one suggested by object-oriented ontologists and counter-arguments by other speculative realists) are analyzed. G. Harman’s quadruple structure taken as a basis and supplemented by imaginary object mode, whose place is on the edge of subject-object dichotomy. The author examines the dichotomy in the context of possibility to overcome it with the help of approach suggested by OOO backing. The analysis of Harman’s attempt to develop the thing-in-itself and extend understanding of object concept is about to be done. The aim of the article is to define how the imaginary intrudes basic perception leaving us with realistic (at least as consciousness sees it) picture of the world. So, throughout the article can be seen an attempt to investigate relations and/or tensions to which real and imaginable objects come between each other within the approach of speculative realism. In addition, the author had a task to determine how imaginary mode of an object is embedded in all tensions of its quadruple structure. Full transition to completely objective reality is considered impossible to be due to difficulties with its detachment from the imaginary. There was defined that imaginary object mode is organically built in all Harman’s four tensions, which are allure, causation, confrontation and theory – all of them are explained in more detail in the article. It also produces an effect on perception of constituents between which we notice those tensions, real or sensual objects and qualities. Thus, it can be argued that imaginary mode of an object is its binding component and it is necessary for complete object cognition. Besides, proceeding from the fact of how object shapes in this mode, there can be made a conclusion that cognition is not one-way process of information receiving. Imaginable becomes creative addition to it, work done by consciousness in cognition.