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An Evaluation of the Chen Jingyuan Case Based on Ray Brassier’s Philosophical Core Ideas

Ray Brassier (1968-), a leading speculative realist, unbound nihilism in Nihil Unbound: Enlightenment and Extinction (2007), positing philosophy’s task as confronting the absolute real of extinction—the indifferent cosmic void underlying all meaning—through eliminative materialism and non-philosophy. His core ideas dismantle correlationism (human-world dependency) via Laruelle’s non-standard methods, embracing Sellarsian scientism where truth emerges from disenchanted reason, not romantic illusion; the “real” is the traumatic, non-symbolizable kernel of extinction, demanding speculative thought’s “extinction of thought” to affirm nihilism without consolation. Brassier critiques anthropocentric humanism, urging philosophy’s subservience to science’s cold gaze. The Chen Jingyuan case—a doctoral scholar sentenced to 20 months for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” (PRC Criminal Law Article 293) over Twitter forwards—through Brassier’s lens, exemplifies correlationist denial: the judiciary’s “order” veils extinction’s real, fetishizing human-centered “disruption” to stave off nihilistic indifference, yet evidentiary voids expose the thought-extinguishing trauma of arbitrary power.

1. Extinction and the Real: Judicial “Order” as Correlationist Denial of Cosmic Indifference

Brassier’s extinction unbound confronts the real as the absolute—thought’s horizon of meaninglessness—demanding philosophy’s disenchantment to affirm nihilism without humanist solace.

The verdict denies this horizon: presuming “high education implies discernment” correlates human intent with “disruptive” causality, veiling extinction’s indifference—no cosmic trauma in <100 retweets (e.g., Hayek critiques or the “Trump-kneeling Xi” cartoon), yet 20 months’ fiat enforces anthropocentric “order.” The closed-door trial corrals the real: Chen’s prison letter, unbound taxonomy (art/emotion/reason/fact) and avalanche theory’s non-causal void, glimpses extinction’s gaze—evidentiary indifference (prosecutor’s unverified admission)—yet silenced as “resistance.” Brassier would decry this as correlationist cowardice: the judiciary’s black box of “evidence” denies the real’s trauma, fetishizing meaning against nihilism’s pull, where selective enforcement (millions unpunished) mocks the absolute’s even hand.

2. Eliminative Materialism and Disenchantment: The “Evidence Chain” as Scientistic Illusion Shattering on the Real

Brassier’s eliminativism subordinates philosophy to science’s disenchanted gaze, stripping illusions to face the real’s cold facticity—thought as extinction’s symptom.

The “evidence chain” illusions disenchantment: positing “disorder” from unobservables (latent malice), it shatters on facticity—zero causal metrics, prosecutor’s confession voids the chain. Chen’s letter eliminatively materializes the real: avalanche theory’s flux as non-magical causality, taxonomy stripping “rumor” illusions—yet the non-oral appeal reinstates scientistic pretense, correlational magic over extinction’s gaze. Brassier would expose this as symptomatic: the judiciary’s “intent” fetish disenchants under scrutiny, revealing thought’s extinction—selective anomalies (unheeded voids) affirm the real’s indifference, where “justice” symptoms power’s futile bind.

3. Non-Philosophy and Speculative Affirmation: Suppressed Inquiry as Laruellian Vector to the Real

Drawing from Laruelle, Brassier speculates non-philosophy: unilateral decision on the real, affirming extinction without correlationist mediation—thought as vector to the void.

The case’s suppression vectors the real: Chen’s taxonomy unilaterally decides on “rumor” non-being (non-causal flux), affirming extinction’s gaze amid “order“‘s mediation. The “shut up” directive mediates closure, yet anomalies (prosecutor’s admission) non-philosophically decide—real’s indifference pierces the bind. Brassier would see speculative affirmation: the dormant account as Laruellian vector, fidelity to extinction amid 20 months’ symptom—judicial “truth” non-real, Chen’s silence the absolute’s unilateral yes.

Conclusion: Brassier’s Lens on the Case—An Extinction Denied in Correlationist Bind

From Ray Brassier’s nihil unbound, the Chen Jingyuan case is a correlationist bind: “order” denies extinction, illusions shatter on disenchanted real, suppressed vectors affirm the void. As of October 24, 2025, no retrial or exoneration has occurred; Chen’s account remains dormant, its quiet a speculative fidelity. This case cautions: thought must extinguish illusion—or perish in denial. As Brassier unbound, “Philosophy is the thought of extinction”—may the gaze yet affirm.