&ldquo\;To be communist is to be lost\, looking for an answer\, looking for a way out. \;Communist Ontologies \;breaks with the monologue form\, brings us away too from any monological concept of anti-capitalist politics&hellip\; A stroll by two communists\, immensely rewarding\, immensely subversive.&rdquo\; &ndash\; John Holloway\, from the Preface to \;Communist Ontologies
\nWhat does it mean &ldquo\;to be&rdquo\; in a world of capitalism now bearing (once again) all of its fascist teeth? What is the nature of communist being-in-the-word when so much of the world is ferociously anti-communist? In their new book\, \;Communist Ontologies \;(2024)\, \;Bruno Gullì\; \;and Richard Gilman-Opalsky undertake a philosophical and political inquiry into capitalist forms of life and new forms of life\, or communist ontologies.
\nTogether\, they aim at a new synthesis of theory about possible and desirable beings-in-the-world. Rejecting capitalist conceptions of labor\, politics\, sovereignty\, economy\, (neo)liberalism\, community\, the individual\, art\, revolution\, social change\, and even the human person\, Gullì\; and Gilman-
\nOpalsky propose new ways of thinking and being antagonistic to the existing world. In this Seminar\, Gullì\; and Gilman-Opalsky introduce the basic concepts and arguments of their book for general interest and consider present challenges facing the emancipatory dreams and struggles of everyday people.
\nThe &ldquo\;main event&rdquo\; of this seminar will feature open discussion with the authors. While reading \;Communist Ontologies \;before the seminar is encouraged\, no knowledge of the book is necessary. We welcome anyone with interest in the subject to join us with nothing more than their curiosity.
\nFacilitators: \;Bruno Gullì\; \;is professor of philosophy at CUNY-Kingsborough and of comparative literature at the Graduate Center &ndash\; CUNY. He is the author of five books\, including \;Communist Ontologies\, \;Labor of Fire\, and \;Singularities \;at the Threshold. \;Richard Gilman-Opalsky \;is professor of political theory and philosophy in the School of Politics and International Affairs at the University of Illinois. He is the author of nine books\, including \;Communist Ontologies\, \;Imaginary \;Power\, Real Horizons\, \;The Communism of Love\, \;Specters of Revolt\, and \;Precarious Communism. Gilman-Opalsky has lectured widely throughout the world\, and his work has been translated and published in Greek\, Spanish\, French\, and German. In 2018-2019\, he was named University Scholar at the University of Illinois.
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