Eugene Thacker's 'Infinite Resignation' Explores Pessimism Through Philosophical Fragments

Published by Repeater for £12.99 or $17.95, Eugene Thacker's 2018 work 'Infinite Resignation' presents a collection of philosophical and poetic fragments, essays, and aphorisms exploring pessimism as a connection between despair and hope. The book highlights influential pessimistic philosophers such as Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Emil Cioran, particularly emphasizing Schopenhauer through humor and critical analysis. Thacker, an academic based in New York, ties concepts of existence and nonexistence to themes from his earlier 2011 publication, 'In the Dust of This Planet'. The text's aphoristic nature embodies a 'pessimistic style' associated with laziness, with Nietzsche and Schopenhauer as references. Notably, it lacks contributions from female writers, with Clarice Lispector being a rare exception. It was noted in the Summer 2018 ArtReview as both engaging and noncommittal.