non-language knowings
Jane Bennett, in her work on new materialism, expands on Adorno’s idea of “non-language knowings”, focusing on how certain forms of knowledge — those found in the material, sensory, and affective dimensions — resist linguistic articulation. This concept aligns with Adorno’s critique of over-rationalised systems of thought, which he felt could never fully grasp the richness and ambiguity of reality.
Material Vibrancy: Bennett emphasises that objects and environments communicate through their materiality. Their “vibrancy” constitutes a form of knowledge that transcends language. For example, the feel of fabric or the hum of a machine conveys something irreducible to words.
Affect as Knowing: Similar to Adorno’s view that music or art conveys truths beyond conceptual thought, Bennett argues that affective experiences (like awe or discomfort) carry insights that escape linguistic expression.
Ethics of Non-Human Knowledge: Bennett suggests that acknowledging these “non-language knowings” can lead to a more ethical relationship with the non-human world, as it demands that we listen to what cannot be spoken.
Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969) was one of the most important philosophers, cultural, and music critics in Germany after World War II.
Adorno’s “non-language knowings” focus on how art and aesthetic experience communicate truths that rational discourse cannot. He believed that art resists instrumental rationality and allows for a deeper, more intuitive understanding of the world.
In essence, Bennett builds on Adorno by situating his ideas in the context of new materialism and emphasizing the vitality of the non-human and sensory dimensions as sources of wisdom. For both thinkers, language is a boundary, but experience — whether material or aesthetic — transcends it.