Federico Campagna's 'Magia e tecnica' reimagines reality through magic
Federico Campagna's essay 'Magia e tecnica. La ricostruzione della realtà' (Tlon, 2021) proposes magic as an antidote to the passivity imposed by contemporary technocratic society. The book, originally published in English in 2018 by Bloomsbury, argues for a reorganization of reality that embraces the ineffable—what escapes linguistic classification. Campagna critiques Aristotle for expunging mythic, mystical, and irrational elements from philosophy, establishing a rationalist tradition that culminates in modern technique. Drawing on neoplatonic and Arabic philosophies, as well as Ernesto De Martino's studies of shamanism, he positions magic as a therapeutic tool to counter contemporary disorientation. The preface by Timothy Morton suggests looking to these alternative traditions for keys to futurity. Campagna, born in Sondrio in 1984, offers a clear yet complex language to reconstruct a magical imaginary that provides critical perspective on reality.
Key facts
- Federico Campagna's 'Magia e tecnica. La ricostruzione della realtà' published by Edizioni Tlon in 2021.
- Original English edition published by Bloomsbury in 2018.
- Campagna was born in Sondrio in 1984.
- The book argues that magic can erode the core of the technical system.
- Campagna critiques Aristotle for removing mythic and mystical traits from philosophy.
- Timothy Morton wrote the preface.
- The book references Ernesto De Martino's 'Il mondo magico' and 'La fine del mondo'.
- Campagna draws on neoplatonic and Arabic philosophies.
Entities
Artists
- Federico Campagna
- Timothy Morton
- Ernesto De Martino
- Aristotle
- Gilles Deleuze
Institutions
- Edizioni Tlon
- Bloomsbury
- Artribune
Locations
- Sondrio
- Italy
- Rome