- 239 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
About this book
In Good Vibes Only, Robin James argues that "the vibes"—the mathematical vectors driving modern technologies—have shifted. Considering the forms of governance performed by the algorithms fueling AI, recommender systems, facial recognition, and other contemporary technologies, James vividly illustrates our new biopolitical regime—one in which discourses of legitimacy function in place of norms to draw patriarchal, racial, and capitalist lines around personhood. James innovatively combines continental philosophy, popular music studies, and media studies to show how the math driving modern technologies translates into both political forms of governance and colloquial cultural practices ranging from social media posts to playlist categories to hip hop aesthetics. Qualitative atmospheres and abstractions are undergirded by quantitative orientations, utilized by users and platforms alike. Good Vibes Only breaks down the phenomenology of how these algorithmic "vibes" have shifted the way biopower governs, not with disciplinary or regulatory norms, but with orientations or lineages that it assesses for their capacity to carry patriarchal racial capitalist property relations into speculative realities.
Information
Publisher
Duke University Press BooksYear
2026Print ISBN
9781478039334
9781478034360
eBook ISBN
9781478062929
Topic
PhilosophySubtopic
Critical TheoryTable of contents
- Cover
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Vibe Check
- 1. Normative Biopower: The Political Ontology of Disciplinary and Regulatory Norms
- 2. Orientation and Legitimating Biopower: Phenomenology, Vibes, and Speculative Probability Models
- 3. Governing Vibes: From Norms to Legitimacy
- 4. Sonic Lineages and Sonic Stewardship: Black Popular Musics with and Against Legitimation
- 5. Atmospheres and Ambiguities: Critical Phenomenology and Legitimating Biopower
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Good Vibes Only by Robin James in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Critical Theory. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.