Benjamin Noys
Theorist who gave “accelerationism” its name as a criticism
A professor of critical theory who named accelerationism in The Persistence of the Negative (2010) — as a description of a position he was arguing against, not one he held.
Key arguments & positions
- Critic of accelerationism, the idea that capitalist and technological change should be sped up rather than resisted.
Accomplishments
- Professor of Critical Theory at the University of Chichester.
- Credited with coining the term accelerationism; wrote Malign Velocities: Accelerationism and Capitalism (2014; 2nd edition 2025).
Papers & key writings
Links
In the library
Nothing of theirs is filed in the hub yet. Browse the full library.
Recommended next
Hand-picked from the hub based on what Benjamin Noys covers.
Nothing Human (CCRU Research Archive)
A curated, uncommercial public archive of the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit (CCRU) and adjacent theory — Nick Land, accelerationism, hyperstition, and 1990s Warwick philosophy. The public reference layer is free; full corpus metadata is available for download.
Why this: Also about accelerationism
Machine God Metaphors Eat Your Brain
Henry Farrell argues that the "machine gods" metaphor dominating AI debate — treating AI as either a benevolent or malevolent deity — throws away exactly the information needed to navigate the moment. He places Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nick Land as the two most influential policy intellectuals in the US conversation, and argues this is not a good thing. The essay proposes an alternative framing of AI as a social and cultural technology rather than a godlike entity.
Why this: Also about accelerationism