Being and Motion

## Abstract Being and Motion offers an original philosophical ontology of movement. The history of philosophy has systematically explained movement as derived from something else that does not move: space, eternity, force, and time. Why, when movement has been central to human societies, did a philosophy based on movement never take hold in the West? This book is the first major work of systematic ontology to answer this question and finally overturn this long-standing metaphysical tradition by placing movement at the heart of philosophy. In doing so, Being and Motion provides a completely new understanding of the most fundamental categories of ontology from the ground up: quality, quantity, relation, modality, and others. It also provides the first history of the philosophy of motion, from the early prehistoric mythologies up to contemporary ontologies. More than at any other time in human history, we live in an age defined by movement and mobility, and yet we lack a single contemporary ontology that takes this seriously as a starting point for philosophy. Being and Motion sets out to remedy this lacuna in contemporary thought by providing a historical ontology of our present: an ontology of movement. CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction I: The Age of Motion BOOK I: The Ontology of Motion Part I: Ontology and History 1.Historical Ontology 2.Ontological History 3.Philosophy of Motion 4.Realism and Materialism Part II: The Theory of Motion I. Flow 5.Continuum 6.Multiplicity 7.Confluence II. Fold 8.Junction 9.Sensation 10.Conjunction III. Field 11.Circulation 12.Knot Introduction II: Kinos, Logos, Graphos BOOK II: The Motion of Ontology Part I: Being and Space I. Kinos 13.Centripetal Motion II. Logos 14.Prehistoric Mythology: Venus, Egg, Spiral III. Graphos 15.Speech: The Body Part II: Being and Eternity I. Kinos 16.Centrifugal Motion II. Logos 17.Ancient Cosmology I: The Holy Mountain 18.Ancient Cosmology II: Theomachy 19.Ancient Cosmology III: Ex Nihilo 20.Ancient Cosmology IV: Plato and Aristotle III. Graphos 21.Writing I: Tokens 22.Writing II: Alphabet Part III: Being and Force I. Kinos 23.Tensional Motion II. Logos 24.Medieval Theology I: Aether 25.Medieval Theology II: Impetus 26.Medieval Theology III: Conatus 27.Medieval Theology IV: The Trinity III. Graphos 28.The Book I: Manuscript 29.The Book II: Printing Press Part IV: Being and Time I. Kinos 30.Elastic Motion II. Logos 31.Modern Phenomenology I: Series 32.Modern Phenomenology II: Circulation 33.Modern Phenomenology III: Multiplication 34.Modern Phenomenology IV: Process and Interval III. Graphos 35.The Keyboard I: Typewriter 36.The Keyboard II: Computer Conclusion Notes Index More than at any other time in human history, we live in an age defined by movement and mobility; and yet, we lack a unifying theory which takes this seriously as a starting point for philosophy. The history of philosophy has systematically explained movement as derived from something else that does not move: space, eternity, force, and time. Why, when movement has always been central to human societies, did a philosophy based on movement never take hold? This book finally overturns this long-standing metaphysical tradition by placing movement at the heart of philosophy. In doing so, Being and Motion provides a completely new understanding of the most fundamental categories of ontology from a movement-oriented perspective: quality, quantity, relation, modality, and others. It also provides the first history of the philosophy of motion, from early prehistoric mythologies up to contemporary ontologies. Through its systematic ontology of movement, Being and Motion provides a path-breaking historical ontology of our present.--Publisher website More than at any other time in human history, we live in an age defined by movement and mobility; and yet, we lack a unifying theory which takes this seriously as a starting point for philosophy. The history of philosophy has systematically explained movement as derived from something else that does not move: space, eternity, force, and time. Why, when movement has always been central to human societies, did a philosophy based on movement never take hold? This book finally overturns this long-standing metaphysical tradition by placing movement at the heart of philosophy.In doing so, Being and Motion provides a completely new understanding of the most fundamental categories of ontology from a movement-oriented perspective: quality, quantity, relation, modality, and others. It also provides the first history of the philosophy of motion, from early prehistoric mythologies up to contemporary ontologies. Through its systematic ontology of movement, Being and Motion provides a path-breaking historical ontology of our present. More than at any other time in human history, we live in an age defined by movement and mobility; and yet, we lack a single contemporary ontology which takes this seriously as a starting point for philosophy. Being and Motion sets out to remedy this lacuna in contemporary thought by providing a historical ontology of our present: an ontology of movement.