Object-Oriented Ontology: A New Theory of Everything

What is reality really?
Are humans really more special and important than the nonhuman objects around us?
How does this change our understanding of the world?

We humans tend to believe that things are only real to the extent that we perceive them to be—an idea reinforced by modern philosophy that elevates humans above all other objects, granting them a special, exceptional status.

However, Graham Harman, one of the most influential representatives of object-oriented ontology, is convinced that human specialness is only an illusion. The world, in his opinion, is not limited to how we see and understand it. The central thesis of object-oriented ontology is that all objects—real or fictional, natural or artificial, human or nonhuman—are autonomous and exist independently of one another.

In this fascinating book, Harman introduces readers to the history, core ideas, and impact of object-oriented ontology, spanning art and literature, politics, and the natural sciences.