The New Lucretians, Contemporary Materialism and Historical Method

This book critically examines recent interpretations of the Roman poet Lucretius by contemporary materialists. Inspired by his vision of matter in motion and the generativity of nature, political theorists, literary scholars and process philosophers today attribute ideas to Lucretius that anticipate their own innovative work in their respective fields. What should we make of this phenomenon? Why does Lucretius feature so prominently in recent materialisms, and what justifies treating him as a precursor or ancient double? The New Lucretians, Contemporary Materialism and Historical Method focuses on four thinkers—Vittorio Morfino, Jacques Lezra, Jane Bennett, and Thomas Nail—and places them in a genealogy of interpreters going back over a century in spiritualist philosophy, poststructuralism, Marxism, and science studies. It also reflects on questions of historical method, testing how well various historiographic approaches fit their work and justify their use of Lucretius. These include approaches the new Lucretians explicitly endorse—such as radical ideas about nonlinear history and translation—and others that they do not—such as Straussian reading between the lines, motivated reasoning, analytic rational reconstruction, and creative experimentation with canons of philosophical heroes. It is essential reading for all scholars, researchers and advanced students interested in forging links between contemporary and ancient philosophy and balancing the risks of that endeavour with its promises.