Philosophy & Social Criticism, Vol. 34, No. 5, 499-513 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0191453708089196
© 2008 SAGE Publications
Life and politics after humanity
A map for newcomers
Roberto Farneti
Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
A number of academic disciplines are seeking to rearticulate the distinction between the natural and the normative by rethinking the position humans occupy within nature. This article surveys this interdisciplinary debate in which the possibility of understanding humans as normative beings is often called into question. The aim of this survey is to identify the stakes involved in such debates and to reveal the underlying policy dimension of current discussions about human nature. This article concludes by arguing that the main target of the current battles for recognition between disciplines is the `public', which is becoming the ultimate epistemic authority in a game with high political stakes.
Key Words: humanity • normativity • performativity • political theory • public understanding of science
Showing posts with label public space. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public space. Show all posts
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Homo spectator:Public space in the age of the spectacle by Margaret Kohn
Philosophy & Social Criticism, Vol. 34, No. 5, 467-486 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0191453708089194
© 2008 SAGE Publications
Homo spectator
Public space in the age of the spectacle
Margaret Kohn
University of Toronto, Canada
This article develops a novel approach to the relationship between public space and democracy. It employs the concept of the spectacle to show how public space can serve to destroy or weaken solidarity just as easily as it can foster a democratic ethos of equality. A close reading of Rousseau's Letter to M. d'Alembert on the Theatre helps illuminate the political implications of modern public life, which increasingly takes the form of passive individuals assembling in order to view a spectacle. According to Rousseau, spectacles like the theater are depoliticizing because they undermine the opportunity for active participation and interaction with other citizens. By habituating the audience to theatrical modes of self-presentation, they also weaken the capacity for empathy. This article concludes by showing how contemporary theorists including Sennett, Debord and Habermas also contribute to our understanding of the concept of the spectacle.
Key Words: citizenship • democracy • festival • public space • Jean-Jacques Rousseau • Richard Sennett • spectacle • theater
DOI: 10.1177/0191453708089194
© 2008 SAGE Publications
Homo spectator
Public space in the age of the spectacle
Margaret Kohn
University of Toronto, Canada
This article develops a novel approach to the relationship between public space and democracy. It employs the concept of the spectacle to show how public space can serve to destroy or weaken solidarity just as easily as it can foster a democratic ethos of equality. A close reading of Rousseau's Letter to M. d'Alembert on the Theatre helps illuminate the political implications of modern public life, which increasingly takes the form of passive individuals assembling in order to view a spectacle. According to Rousseau, spectacles like the theater are depoliticizing because they undermine the opportunity for active participation and interaction with other citizens. By habituating the audience to theatrical modes of self-presentation, they also weaken the capacity for empathy. This article concludes by showing how contemporary theorists including Sennett, Debord and Habermas also contribute to our understanding of the concept of the spectacle.
Key Words: citizenship • democracy • festival • public space • Jean-Jacques Rousseau • Richard Sennett • spectacle • theater
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