New materialism: An end to certainty

The purpose of this entry is to provide an orientation to new materialism, a form of inquiry or philosophy that brings renewed interest to materiality. New materialist philosophies offer an end to certainty, an end to the belief that meaning, knowledge, and agency are fixed and stable. New materialism, however, is not a cohesive body of work but rather a collection of theories, theorists, works, and assumptions, each with its own goals, methods, and desired end points. What constitutes new materialism, what contributes to new materialism, and what inspires new materialist scholarship are not necessarily the same. We trace some of the historical influences of new materialism, highlighting key theories and theorists, describing the intersecting philosophical traditions that mutually constitute new materialism, and exploring the implications of new materialism both for social justice and for qualitative research. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Aaron M. Kuntz; individual chapters, the contributors.