Abstract
This essay examines Jacques Rancière's concept of subjectivation, the coming into being of a political subject as the substance of radical democratic politics. In particular, it provides a detailed reading of disidentification and impossible identification as they relate to figures of the Other. I present some possible points of intersection between subjectivation and hybridity, and explain why these concepts may ultimately be incompatible in their most common formulations. Examining closely a few recurring figures of alterity ("the Algerian" and "the immigrant"), I show that, in each case, the Other is used principally as an abstract figure, a procedure which risks effacing historically situated political voices in the name of universalism. Moreover, I argue that decisions regarding which subjects authentically enact politics and which remain in the realm of the police can themselves turn out to be politically neutralizing.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 447-470 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | Philosophy Today |
Volume | 63 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2019 |
Keywords
- Alterity
- Hybridity
- Politics
- Rancière
- Subjectivation