Introduction

Object-oriented ontology (OOO) is one of the most influential developments in contemporary philosophy. Drawing inspiration from Martin Heidegger while extending his insights in new directions, object-oriented ontology argues that reality cannot be reduced to either human perception or scientific description.

In this discussion I explore the relationship between Heidegger’s concept of tool being, the withdrawal of objects described by object-oriented philosophers such as Graham Harman, and the existential concerns raised by Søren Kierkegaard. While these thinkers emerge from different traditions, they share an interest in aspects of reality that resist complete understanding.

Listen to the podcast episode HERE.

What is Object Oriented Ontology?

Object Oriented Ontology is a contemporary philosophy by Graham Harman. In short, it is a response to a modern traditional philosophical orientation that we typically know as phenomenology. Phenomenology is about subjects. His, and other philosophers’, notion is that subjects are constrained by a limitation imposed by an assumption of a link between Being and Thought, which historically has posited that human beings can only know what we know of objects, our models and theories, and never the object, as we say, in-itself. Harman proposes that we can have access to objects in themselves.

This is particularly useful when it comes to mental health, because the question for our efforts here is: what is the object of mental health?

Getting Deep into Mental Health Philosophy – listen HERE.

The Object of the Subject