Speculative Non-Buddhism

At The End of The World, Plant A Tree

Saturday, January 23, 2021
12-3 PM Eastern (US+Canada)

Adam Greenfield

If the hellish events of 2020 left you feeling like the first stirrings of apocalypse are at long last come upon us, you clearly aren’t alone. But just what do we do with ourselves, here at the end of all things? What happens to us — psychically, emotionally, socially, politically — when we accept and internalize that events capable of ending human civilization as we’ve known it have already taken place, and that all we’re doing now is waiting for them to unfold in their fullest consequence?

We’ll be touring some of the most common responses to this understanding — including the turn toward reactionary blood-and-soil nativism, the false comfort of left accelerationism, and the newly hegemonic rhetoric of “resilience” — before exploring what qualities might actually serve us best, as individuals and collectivities, as the epoch on which we’ve predicated our entire sense of being draws to its inevitable close.

By developing the notion that there are capacities to which we have permanent recourse, no matter what else happens, this conversation will hopefully leave you feeling able to face the gathering darkness with grace and equanimity. And, hey, if the apocalypse fails to arrive on time, at least you’ll have a bunch of clever new things to say at parties.

Facilitator: Adam Greenfield. Formerly a rock critic, bike messenger, PSYOP sergeant in the US Army, and head of design direction for service and user interface at Nokia, among other things, Adam Greenfield currently thinks of himself as a writer and urbanist. His most recent book is Radical Technologies: The Design of Everyday Life (Verso, 2017).

Readings:

• At The End of the World, Plant a Tree by Adam Greenfield (PDF will be sent on registration)
• Jem Bendell’s 2019 “Deep Adaptation,” a highly influential article arguing that global climate catastrophe can no longer be prevented, only adapted to
• Faulty Science, Doomism and Flawed Conclusions – A passionate response arguing that Bendel’s piece is based on flawed logic, poor scholarship and a highly selective reading of the available evidence”

Time: Saturday, January 23, 12pm-3pm. Online via Zoom.
Seminar Cost:

• $30 – Member Ticket for Incite Seminars Patreon Supports at any level
• $45 – Non-Member (True Cost) Ticket
• $90 – Generous Supporter Ticket
• $15 – Student/Contingent Scholar/Activist Ticket
• $1+ – Solidarity Donation Ticket

Registration

Please register by buying a ticket at our Eventbrite page. We are committed to making all our offerings accessible to those who are eager to learn, regardless of financial means. If you have any questions or concerns, please email inciteseminarsphila@gmail.com.