Essays by Philip Højme
Matter: Journal of New Materialist Research, 2024
This article aims to read feminist new materialisms (Barad), together with ‘postulated’ linguisti... more This article aims to read feminist new materialisms (Barad), together with ‘postulated’ linguistic or cultural primacy of Queer Theory (Butler), to show how both are engaged in similar critical-ethical endeavours. The central argument is that the criticism of Barad and new materialisms misses Butler’s materialistic insights due to a narrow interpretation of Butler's alleged social-constructivist position. There is, therefore, a specific focus on where they both make similar ethical appeals. Moreover, the article relies on Adorno's negative dialectic to highlight an interpretation of Barad and Butler as being part of the same dialectical movement, in which materialism and idealism fluctuate in their mutual criticisms, thus continuing the procession towards 'new knowledge' and emancipation, or freedom, through their motions back and forth.
Danish Yearbook of Philosophy, 2023
Applied philosophy is experiencing its "golden days," as Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen says in his ins... more Applied philosophy is experiencing its "golden days," as Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen says in his insightful introduction to A Companion to Applied Philosophy.1 Applied philosophy seems to be distinguished from its opposite, pure philosophy,2 usually understood as traditional philosophy, which deals with subjects such as free will, consciousness, or knowledge in philosophical subdisciplines like ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. To embrace applied philosophy could thus mean to advocate for a philosophy that deals with questions "relevant to 'the important questions of everyday life,'"3 as Leslie Stevenson puts it, as opposed to questions that arise from within the subdisciplines of pure philosophy. Hence, Lippert-Rasmussen makes an important distinction between applied philosophy, which applies philosophical methods to
PSYCHOANALYSIS BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS, 2023
Philip Højme, in “On the Possibilities for Future Communisms: Rethinking Communism as Biocommunis... more Philip Højme, in “On the Possibilities for Future Communisms: Rethinking Communism as Biocommunism,” examines the influence of Marx’s early concept of species-being or Gattungswesen (workers alienated from their bodies or nature by conceiving of their bodies as tools to be sold or rented out) on the Kyoto School. Also resorting to Agamben’s (biopolitics, communal life) and Butler’s (grievable life) life writings, Højme proposes the idea of biocommunism, “an orientation towards a life without direct state control,” as a type of communism that is more suited for today’s reality. Højme argues that today, humans, alienated from their species-being, see work not as a life-affirming activity or an integral part of being human, as Marx understood it, but as a means to make a living. In this
sense, biocommunism, unlike biopolitics, would be characterized by as sensitivity to humans’ creative force and connectedness with nature and social life. It would also allow individuals to re-take control of their own development, which is still today in the hands of institutions.
Bajo Palabra, 2023
This essay rethinks the concept of biocommunism by rearticulating it via a sensitivity towards in... more This essay rethinks the concept of biocommunism by rearticulating it via a sensitivity towards individual suffering rather than the human species as a whole. The essay is divided into three parts. The first part outlines Marx's concept of alienation because of the central role that the fourth kind of alienation plays in Dyer-Witheford's original conception of biocommunism. The second part briefly elaborates on the discussion of species in the Kyoto School. These two parts lead to the third part, where a novel interpretation of biocommunism is outlined, focusing on individual suffering rather than the human species.
Itinerari, 2021
This essay seeks to examine D’Arcy’s notion of sound militancy to discern whether this term can b... more This essay seeks to examine D’Arcy’s notion of sound militancy to discern whether this term can be fruitfully applied to establishing rioting (riots) as a democratic form of resistance to injustice or negligence. The first part of the essay provides an account of Frazer and Hutchings’ critique of political violence, a critique that perceives violence (used in politics or for political aims) as never being justifiable. In opposition to this position, the second part of the essay posits, through both theoretical (Marcuse, Celikates) and practical (Soei, Sutterlüty) references, the case for an understanding of political violence (riots) as justifiable or defensible in certain circumstances – those which adhere to D’Arcy’s concept of sound militancy and which seek to address a particular and present grievance. In conclusion, the essay suggests that (Hegelian) recognition provides an account of why marginalizing seems so pervasive in contemporary Western societies.
The GCAS Review Journal, 2021
This essay seeks to engage critically with the transhumanist goal of achieving the technological ... more This essay seeks to engage critically with the transhumanist goal of achieving the technological possibility of transferring consciousness into a computer. The general aim of the critical impulse of this essay is to interpret the various techno-optimistic attempts at transcending the bodily condition of life as being a kind of modern-day necromancy. By alluding to the magical or ritual notion of necromancy, this essay will show how the rationale behind Transhumanism and mind-transfer are premised on a desire to overcome life itself by becoming immortal. Necromancy, whereby a sorcerer or practitioner suspends the dialectics of life and death, elevates the human to an inhuman position by attacking the very foundation of life itself-reviving the dead. This essay will juxtapose Transhumanism with necromancy by interpreting the goal to develop mind-transferring technologies in relation to texts that describe various technological means for practicing the art of necromancy or dark magic. By reinterpreting Transhumanism in this manner, this essay will show how the ritualistic, magical, or mythical foundations, that humanity had earlier called upon to overcome the fragility of their bodies have survived in the premises that underlining the modern-day endeavors to overcome the body via technological means.
Philosophies, 2022
With the coronavirus pandemic and the Omicron variant once again forcing countries into lockdown ... more With the coronavirus pandemic and the Omicron variant once again forcing countries into lockdown (as of late 2021), this essay seeks to outline a Foucauldian critique of various legal measures taken by the Danish government to cope with COVID-19 during the first year and a half of the pandemic. The essay takes a critical look at the extra-legal measures employed by the Danish government, as the Danish politicians attempted to halt the spread of the, now almost forgotten, Cluster 5 COVID-19 variant. This situation will serve as a critical point from where to start using Foucault’s writings on life and biopolitics in order to expose various legally problematic governmental decisions that became visible during the handling of COVID-19 in general and the Cluster 5 mutation
in particular. Reframing the pandemic within Foucault’s concept of biopolitics, this essay concludes that the state of exception has led to an increase in biopolitical logic, where some lives have come to matter more than others. As a critical counterpoint to this logic, the conclusion suggests that the notion of biocommunism could provide a suitable reconfiguration of communism. A reconfiguration that could mitigate some of issues related to biopolitics is uncovered earlier in the essay
Academia Letters, 2021
This letter attempts to put some preliminary thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to Fou... more This letter attempts to put some preliminary thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to Foucault's writings on Biopower, critique of Capitalism, and global wealth injustice. The Letter concludes that schemes, such as COVAX, which are meant to overcome global wealth inequalities, serve better as visible symptoms of these inequalities.
Scientia et Fides, 2019
This paper provides a critique of Bostrom’s concern with existential risks,
a critique which rel... more This paper provides a critique of Bostrom’s concern with existential risks,
a critique which relies on Adorno and Horkheimer’s interpretation of the Enlightenment.Their interpretation is used to elicit the inner contradictions of transhumanist thought and to show the invalid premises on which it is based. By first outlining Bostrom’s position this paper argues that transhumanism reverts to myth in its attempt to surpass the human condition. Bostrom’s argument is based on three pillars, Maxipok, Parfitian population ethics and a universal notion of general human values. By attempting to transcend the human condition, to achieve post-humanity, transhumanism reverts to myth. Thus, the aim of this paper is to provide a critical examination of transhumanism which elicits its tacit contradictions. It will also be argued that transhumanism’s focus on a universal, all-encompassing, notion of humanity (Earth-originating intelligent life) neglects any concern with actual lived lives. This absence is problematic because it clearly shows that there is a discrepancy, between transhumanism’s claimed concern for all of humanity and the practical implications of proposing a universal notion of humanity. This paper will conclude, that transhumanism’s lack of concern with actual lives is due to its universal and totalising gestures. Gestures which allow for universal claims such as general values or Earth-originating intelligent life.
Clio's Psyhe , 2018
This paper briefly describes the life of Otto Gross and his thoughts on sexuality, society, and r... more This paper briefly describes the life of Otto Gross and his thoughts on sexuality, society, and repression. This provides the basis to interpret the #MeToo movement as functioning in the same way as a repressed memory that breaks through to consciousness. Gross’ suggestion that society “rapes” individuals and his assertion of a primordial matriarchal society are useful insights in understanding the #MeToo movement.
Interviews by Philip Højme
GCAS Magazine, 2023
Both Philip and Andrew are philosophy students whose interests converge around the philosophy of ... more Both Philip and Andrew are philosophy students whose interests converge around the philosophy of technology broadly understood. Philip's interest is specifically aimed toward the ethics of Transhumanism and depictions of Transhumanism in works of fiction. On the other hand, Andrew finds himself more focused on religious behavior in the technological world. While the two perspectives might not seem that close, there is certain to be an overlap in Andrew and Philip's shared understanding of how technological phenomena play a crucial role concerning religion and society.
Eftertryk, 2023
[ENGLISH BELOW]
Interviewet er lavet i juli 2021. Dets formål er at belyse emner, der er central... more [ENGLISH BELOW]
Interviewet er lavet i juli 2021. Dets formål er at belyse emner, der er centrale i Celikates’ tænkning, f.eks. den voksende højrefløjspopulisme, migration, voldelige versus ikke-voldelige protester, civil ulydighed og den kritiske filosofis rolle i dag.
When Celikates and I sat down digitally in July 2021, the interview’s primary purpose was to examine topics central to Celikates’ thinking, such as the rise of right-wing populism, migration, violent versus non-violent protest, civil disobedience, and the role of critical philosophy today.
LINK: https://www.eftertrykket.dk/2023/02/08/civil-ulydighed-hoejrefloejsbevaegelser-og-filosofiens-muligheder/
The original version (in English) is as of yet unpublished. If you would like to publish the original English version please contact me.
Translations by Philip Højme
Marxists.org, 2021
Translation of J. Witt-Hansen's 1961 introduction to Communist Philosophy. The text was originall... more Translation of J. Witt-Hansen's 1961 introduction to Communist Philosophy. The text was originally published in Danish and has never before been translated.
From the translator's introduction:
The reason for translating Witt-Hansen’s first public introduction to the development of Marx’s thoughts and the later developments of Communist philosophy, and thus introducing a contemporary international audience to this text, is two-fold. On the one hand, this text is interesting for its early critique of ‘Soviet philosophy’, which questions the feasibility of guiding scientific development from the single (ideal) perspective of Historical Materialism. On the other hand, the translator hopes to awaken scholarly interest in Witt-Hansen’s various works, particularly the unfinished (planned) publication Historical Materialism volumes 1-3.
How to cite: Witt-Hansen, J. 2021. ‘The “Eastern” or Communist Philosophy’. In Vor Tids Filosofi, ed. E. Graham, trans P. Højme. Danmarks Radios Grundbøger. København: Danmarks Radio. https://www.marxists.org/subject/philosophy/witt-hansen.pdf.
Other publications by Philip Højme
Eftertryk, 2023
I anledning af Judith Butlers forelæsning om klimasorg på KU er jeg blevet bedt om at besvare spø... more I anledning af Judith Butlers forelæsning om klimasorg på KU er jeg blevet bedt om at besvare spørgsmålet om, hvad man kan bruge Butlers tænkning til i dag og om den stadig er aktuel. Min første tanke var at besvare spørgsmålet med svaret: Man kan bruge Butlers tænkning til ALT! Men for at fokusere mit svar, har jeg besluttet mig for at gennemgå Butlers tænkning i forhold til spørgsmålet om prekære liv og vold og ikke-vold, og hvordan disse emner udspringer af Butlers tænkning om køn i 1990’erne.
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In connection with Judith Butler's lecture on climate grief at KU, I have been asked to answer the question of how Butler's thinking could be used today and whether it is still relevant. My first thought was to answer the question with the answer: You can use Butler's thinking for EVERYTHING! However, to focus my answer, I have decided to review Butler's thinking in relation to the issues of precarious lives and violence and non-violence and how these issues stem from Butler's thinking on gender in the 1990s.
Antifacistisk Forum, 2021
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the Ghettos, about wayward youths and Instagram rapper... more Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the Ghettos, about wayward youths and Instagram rappers that glorify violence. In this piece, a Warsaw-based philosopher contributes to this discussion by examining the music of the ghetto and the culture of riots. Not in opposition to how bourgeois society usually frames such acts of discontent but rather as a reasonable democratic right that minorities are entitled to.
TheCollector.com
The following link will take you to my account on 'The Collecto[dot]com'. Here you can find all o... more The following link will take you to my account on 'The Collecto[dot]com'. Here you can find all of my popular articles about various philosophical topics published with them.
NB! A shorter version of this article appeared in Clio's Psyche, Vol. 25 No. 1, Fall 2018.
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I... more NB! A shorter version of this article appeared in Clio's Psyche, Vol. 25 No. 1, Fall 2018.
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In this paper I will briefly describe the life of Otto Gross and his thoughts on sexuality, society and repression. This will provide the basis for my interpretation of the #Metoo movement as functioning in the same way as a repressed memory. In addition to this, I shall propose that Gross’ suggestion that society ‘rapes’ individuals, and the assertion of a primordial matriarchal society, could be useful insights in understanding the #Metoo movement. By suggesting this interpretation of the #Metoo movement I hope to reveal the theories of Gross to a wider audience.
Modkrat.dk, 2016
Når politikere truer kontanthjælpsmodtagere, flygtninge forvises til teltlejre, og vi skal assimi... more Når politikere truer kontanthjælpsmodtagere, flygtninge forvises til teltlejre, og vi skal assimileres til bestemt dansk kultur, er det den samme voldelige struktur, der reproduceres, når forældre begår vold mod børn. Psykoanalysen forklarer sammenhængen mellem institutionel vold og vold i relationer.
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When politicians threatens recipients of unemployment benefits, forces refugess to live in tent camps, and assumes the need to assimilate people to Danish culture, they are utilizing the same violent structures as parents using when punishing children. Psychoanalysis can explain this connection between institutional violence and violence in (family) relations.
Reviews by Philip Højme
Marx and Philosphy Review of Books, 2019
Review of Eric Oberle's book 'Adorno and the Century of Negative Identity', Stanford University P... more Review of Eric Oberle's book 'Adorno and the Century of Negative Identity', Stanford University Press, 2019.
Uploads
Essays by Philip Højme
sense, biocommunism, unlike biopolitics, would be characterized by as sensitivity to humans’ creative force and connectedness with nature and social life. It would also allow individuals to re-take control of their own development, which is still today in the hands of institutions.
in particular. Reframing the pandemic within Foucault’s concept of biopolitics, this essay concludes that the state of exception has led to an increase in biopolitical logic, where some lives have come to matter more than others. As a critical counterpoint to this logic, the conclusion suggests that the notion of biocommunism could provide a suitable reconfiguration of communism. A reconfiguration that could mitigate some of issues related to biopolitics is uncovered earlier in the essay
a critique which relies on Adorno and Horkheimer’s interpretation of the Enlightenment.Their interpretation is used to elicit the inner contradictions of transhumanist thought and to show the invalid premises on which it is based. By first outlining Bostrom’s position this paper argues that transhumanism reverts to myth in its attempt to surpass the human condition. Bostrom’s argument is based on three pillars, Maxipok, Parfitian population ethics and a universal notion of general human values. By attempting to transcend the human condition, to achieve post-humanity, transhumanism reverts to myth. Thus, the aim of this paper is to provide a critical examination of transhumanism which elicits its tacit contradictions. It will also be argued that transhumanism’s focus on a universal, all-encompassing, notion of humanity (Earth-originating intelligent life) neglects any concern with actual lived lives. This absence is problematic because it clearly shows that there is a discrepancy, between transhumanism’s claimed concern for all of humanity and the practical implications of proposing a universal notion of humanity. This paper will conclude, that transhumanism’s lack of concern with actual lives is due to its universal and totalising gestures. Gestures which allow for universal claims such as general values or Earth-originating intelligent life.
Interviews by Philip Højme
Interviewet er lavet i juli 2021. Dets formål er at belyse emner, der er centrale i Celikates’ tænkning, f.eks. den voksende højrefløjspopulisme, migration, voldelige versus ikke-voldelige protester, civil ulydighed og den kritiske filosofis rolle i dag.
When Celikates and I sat down digitally in July 2021, the interview’s primary purpose was to examine topics central to Celikates’ thinking, such as the rise of right-wing populism, migration, violent versus non-violent protest, civil disobedience, and the role of critical philosophy today.
LINK: https://www.eftertrykket.dk/2023/02/08/civil-ulydighed-hoejrefloejsbevaegelser-og-filosofiens-muligheder/
The original version (in English) is as of yet unpublished. If you would like to publish the original English version please contact me.
Translations by Philip Højme
From the translator's introduction:
The reason for translating Witt-Hansen’s first public introduction to the development of Marx’s thoughts and the later developments of Communist philosophy, and thus introducing a contemporary international audience to this text, is two-fold. On the one hand, this text is interesting for its early critique of ‘Soviet philosophy’, which questions the feasibility of guiding scientific development from the single (ideal) perspective of Historical Materialism. On the other hand, the translator hopes to awaken scholarly interest in Witt-Hansen’s various works, particularly the unfinished (planned) publication Historical Materialism volumes 1-3.
How to cite: Witt-Hansen, J. 2021. ‘The “Eastern” or Communist Philosophy’. In Vor Tids Filosofi, ed. E. Graham, trans P. Højme. Danmarks Radios Grundbøger. København: Danmarks Radio. https://www.marxists.org/subject/philosophy/witt-hansen.pdf.
Other publications by Philip Højme
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In connection with Judith Butler's lecture on climate grief at KU, I have been asked to answer the question of how Butler's thinking could be used today and whether it is still relevant. My first thought was to answer the question with the answer: You can use Butler's thinking for EVERYTHING! However, to focus my answer, I have decided to review Butler's thinking in relation to the issues of precarious lives and violence and non-violence and how these issues stem from Butler's thinking on gender in the 1990s.
----
In this paper I will briefly describe the life of Otto Gross and his thoughts on sexuality, society and repression. This will provide the basis for my interpretation of the #Metoo movement as functioning in the same way as a repressed memory. In addition to this, I shall propose that Gross’ suggestion that society ‘rapes’ individuals, and the assertion of a primordial matriarchal society, could be useful insights in understanding the #Metoo movement. By suggesting this interpretation of the #Metoo movement I hope to reveal the theories of Gross to a wider audience.
---
When politicians threatens recipients of unemployment benefits, forces refugess to live in tent camps, and assumes the need to assimilate people to Danish culture, they are utilizing the same violent structures as parents using when punishing children. Psychoanalysis can explain this connection between institutional violence and violence in (family) relations.
Reviews by Philip Højme
sense, biocommunism, unlike biopolitics, would be characterized by as sensitivity to humans’ creative force and connectedness with nature and social life. It would also allow individuals to re-take control of their own development, which is still today in the hands of institutions.
in particular. Reframing the pandemic within Foucault’s concept of biopolitics, this essay concludes that the state of exception has led to an increase in biopolitical logic, where some lives have come to matter more than others. As a critical counterpoint to this logic, the conclusion suggests that the notion of biocommunism could provide a suitable reconfiguration of communism. A reconfiguration that could mitigate some of issues related to biopolitics is uncovered earlier in the essay
a critique which relies on Adorno and Horkheimer’s interpretation of the Enlightenment.Their interpretation is used to elicit the inner contradictions of transhumanist thought and to show the invalid premises on which it is based. By first outlining Bostrom’s position this paper argues that transhumanism reverts to myth in its attempt to surpass the human condition. Bostrom’s argument is based on three pillars, Maxipok, Parfitian population ethics and a universal notion of general human values. By attempting to transcend the human condition, to achieve post-humanity, transhumanism reverts to myth. Thus, the aim of this paper is to provide a critical examination of transhumanism which elicits its tacit contradictions. It will also be argued that transhumanism’s focus on a universal, all-encompassing, notion of humanity (Earth-originating intelligent life) neglects any concern with actual lived lives. This absence is problematic because it clearly shows that there is a discrepancy, between transhumanism’s claimed concern for all of humanity and the practical implications of proposing a universal notion of humanity. This paper will conclude, that transhumanism’s lack of concern with actual lives is due to its universal and totalising gestures. Gestures which allow for universal claims such as general values or Earth-originating intelligent life.
Interviewet er lavet i juli 2021. Dets formål er at belyse emner, der er centrale i Celikates’ tænkning, f.eks. den voksende højrefløjspopulisme, migration, voldelige versus ikke-voldelige protester, civil ulydighed og den kritiske filosofis rolle i dag.
When Celikates and I sat down digitally in July 2021, the interview’s primary purpose was to examine topics central to Celikates’ thinking, such as the rise of right-wing populism, migration, violent versus non-violent protest, civil disobedience, and the role of critical philosophy today.
LINK: https://www.eftertrykket.dk/2023/02/08/civil-ulydighed-hoejrefloejsbevaegelser-og-filosofiens-muligheder/
The original version (in English) is as of yet unpublished. If you would like to publish the original English version please contact me.
From the translator's introduction:
The reason for translating Witt-Hansen’s first public introduction to the development of Marx’s thoughts and the later developments of Communist philosophy, and thus introducing a contemporary international audience to this text, is two-fold. On the one hand, this text is interesting for its early critique of ‘Soviet philosophy’, which questions the feasibility of guiding scientific development from the single (ideal) perspective of Historical Materialism. On the other hand, the translator hopes to awaken scholarly interest in Witt-Hansen’s various works, particularly the unfinished (planned) publication Historical Materialism volumes 1-3.
How to cite: Witt-Hansen, J. 2021. ‘The “Eastern” or Communist Philosophy’. In Vor Tids Filosofi, ed. E. Graham, trans P. Højme. Danmarks Radios Grundbøger. København: Danmarks Radio. https://www.marxists.org/subject/philosophy/witt-hansen.pdf.
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In connection with Judith Butler's lecture on climate grief at KU, I have been asked to answer the question of how Butler's thinking could be used today and whether it is still relevant. My first thought was to answer the question with the answer: You can use Butler's thinking for EVERYTHING! However, to focus my answer, I have decided to review Butler's thinking in relation to the issues of precarious lives and violence and non-violence and how these issues stem from Butler's thinking on gender in the 1990s.
----
In this paper I will briefly describe the life of Otto Gross and his thoughts on sexuality, society and repression. This will provide the basis for my interpretation of the #Metoo movement as functioning in the same way as a repressed memory. In addition to this, I shall propose that Gross’ suggestion that society ‘rapes’ individuals, and the assertion of a primordial matriarchal society, could be useful insights in understanding the #Metoo movement. By suggesting this interpretation of the #Metoo movement I hope to reveal the theories of Gross to a wider audience.
---
When politicians threatens recipients of unemployment benefits, forces refugess to live in tent camps, and assumes the need to assimilate people to Danish culture, they are utilizing the same violent structures as parents using when punishing children. Psychoanalysis can explain this connection between institutional violence and violence in (family) relations.
Published on:
http://reviews.ophen.org/2018/07/27/dorothee-legrand-dylan-trigg-eds-unconsciousness-between-phenomenology-and-psychoanalysis/
https://www.youtube.com/@philiphoejme
ABSTRACT: The main aim of this dissertation is to examine whether or
not Judith Butler’s feminist philosophy (Queer theory) can be
interpreted as what Theodor W. Adorno called a dialectical or immanent
critique of dialectics. The rationale behind this examination can be
found in two essays published by Carrie Hull (1997) and Marcel
Stoetzler (2005). In these essays, both authors suggest that Butler’s
argument (Gender Trouble 1999[1990]) would benefit significantly from
being juxtaposed with Adorno’s reconceptualisation of dialectics as
‘negative dialectics’ (Negative Dialectics 1990[1966]). However,
while Hull and Stoetzler provide convincing arguments, their claims
are, at best, superficial. Thus, this dissertation addresses this
particular lack in state-of-the-art by thoroughly examining Hull’s
and Stoetzler’s suggested reading of Butler with Adorno (and vice
versa).
The first chapter deals exclusively with Adorno’s theoretical
development and negative dialectics. It focuses on how Adorno’s
general philosophical outlook can be interpreted as a critical
enterprise aimed at correcting the ‘wrongness of the present’, to show
how and where society, politics, or philosophy has failed to live up
to what they claim to have achieved e.g. how the notion of a shared
national identity fails to consider the diversity of the individuals
it encompasses. Adorno’s central issue is thus with ‘Identity
Thinking’ (1990), a mode of thinking aimed at providing an account of
everything from a unified perspective.
The second chapter, as preparation for the third (on Butler),
is divided into two shorter examinations of Michel Foucault and
Jacques Derrida, two figures whose works have greatly inspired Butler.
Foucault and Adorno converge around their shared criticism of social
structures, which permit nothing but themselves. Derrida and Adorno
converge in their shared mode of criticism that seeks to, in Derrida’s
words, deconstruct a text or a theory from within. Hence, by
juxtaposing Foucault’s and Derrida’s critical philosophies with
Adorno’s negative dialectics, the notion that Butler can be juxtaposed
with Adorno is secured by drawing a straight line from Butler’s
theoretical inspirators.
The third chapter engages in a close reading of Butler and
subsequently (relying heavily on Hull and Stoetzler) in a critical
reinterpretation that reads Butler not as an anti-dialectical thinker
but instead as an ambiguous dialectical thinker. Butler interpreted
like this paves the way for reading Butler’s feminism firmly within
Adorno’s negative dialectics. Adding Adorno’s account of materiality
to Butler, while still keeping Butler’s criticism of feminism’s
‘totalizing gestures’ (1999) intact, makes it more apparent how
Butler’s argument contains a materialist account and gives materiality
a more prominent place in Butler’s argument. The lack of materiality in Butler has been criticised by other feminists (New Materialism)
since the publication of Gender Trouble. Thus, by adding Adorno to
Butler, this criticism is met head-on.
The conclusion goes beyond the initial scope of the dissertation
by showing how Butler, with Adorno, can be juxtaposed with those
critics who want to turn contemporary feminism away from the notion
that ‘everything is culture/language’ (Butler) and instead focus on
materiality and matter (New Materialism; Karen Barad). By reading
Butler is not against but with New Materialism, the dichotomy between
culture and nature turn into a productive difference rather than
something that is an unsurmountable contradiction.
utilization of Psychoanalysis and Marxism, and how this shares strong similarities with Adorno’s. These similarities thus come to provide yet another argument for reading Adorno’s, and Butler’s critical theories of society as being similar, in addition to the claim that Butler’s critique of the gender/sex distinction is similar to Adorno’s negative dialectics. By positing these similarities, together with the critique of Butler’s criticism of gender binarity, this thesis come provide yet another assertion for reading Adorno and Butler as conduction a similar emancipatory enterprise.
idea of social ecology (2006) – which in turn distinguishes biocommunism from both Stalinism and Leninism – instead, biocommunism is anarchic, rather than statist, and plural,
as opposed to universal.
By starting from Dyer-Witheford’s suggestion of returning to the young Marx’s idea of ‘species-being’ or Gattungswesen, this presentation aims, on the one hand, to sketch biocommunism as less techno-optimistic than Dyer-Witheford’s original proposal, and on the other, as less utopian than Wróbel's conception of biocommunism as an ‘overcoming of biopolitics’. Instead, I will suggest that biocommunism ought to be concerned with the
present lives in their actual present situations as these present their bare or precarious suffering to the world.
In conclusion, I am offering an interpretation of biocommunism as a possible reconception of Communism in an age where uncontrollable Nature has once again become visible. At the same time, I am also offering a novel qualification of the earlier conceptions of
biocommunism. The latter makes biocommunism a fruitful concept for further research under the present conditions – climate change, COVID19, etc. – because the qualification suggests a need to reorient Communism towards life itself rather than society. Lastly, biocomminism can provide us with this reorientation without any recourse to positing neither a technological nor a post-biopolitical future.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Agamben, Giorgio. 1998. Homo Sacer: Sovereign Power and Bare Life. Translated by Daniel Heller-Roazen. Stanford University Press.
Bookchin, Murray. 2006. Social Ecology and Communalism. Edinburgh, Oakland: AK Press.
Butler, Judith. 2004. Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence. London, New York: Verso.
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Dyer-Witheford, Nick. 2008. ‘Species-Beings: For Biocommunism’. Presented at the Historical Materialism Conference, “Many Marxisms”, London School of Oriental and African Studies, November 7.
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useful term for any attempt at reconceptualizing communism
within a framework which could be called Bio-communism.
Accepting this claim (that species-being is indeed a useful term
for conceptualizing the term Bio-communism) my presentation
will both examine and elaborate on two aspects of the usage
of species-being in the Kyoto School. Firstly, by examining
the internal debate regarding species-being within the Kyoto
School (in Nishida, Tanabe and Miki) I will show how this debate
seems to fit the mould of Foucault’s analysis of (state) racism
in ‘Society Must Be Defended’. Secondly, by elaborating on the
racist (ab)-use the works of the Kyoto School, with its specific
historical context (i.e. the [ab]-use by the Empire of Japan), I
will posit that the notion of species-being is ambiguous as it
could as easily lend itself to a racist interpretation as to an
emancipatory interpretation. The presentation will conclude
with some remarks concerning the possibility of reinterpreting
the term species-being in ways that could foreclose the
possibility of abusing this term for subjugation and ideologies
of racial superiority. By using both insights from Agamben and
Butler I hope to suggest ways in which species-being might
be thought closer to bare-life or precarious lives than to the
universalist notion of race.
well as some using David Favrholt’s accounts of Bohr’s understanding, or lack, therefore, of philosophy (1992; 1993) to show how Barad’s reliance
on Bohr comes with an ambiguity that could potentially threaten the philosophical foundation of agential realism. In the third and final part of my presentation, I will then show precisely how and where this becomes problematic for Barad and venture to state some preliminary notes on how Barad’s argument might be proffered against Bohr’s eclectic or un-philosophical ways of using philosophical terms. By conceptualizing Barad’s reliance on Bohr’s, at times, problematic usage of highly technical philosophical notions and ideas, this presentation outlines the limits and
possibilities of agential realism in ways that not only problematizes but also points toward possible improvements.
idea of social ecology (2006) – which in turn distinguishes biocommunism from both Stalinism and Leninism – instead, biocommunism is anarchic, rather than statist, and plural, as opposed to universal. By starting from Dyer-Witheford’s suggestion of returning
to the young Marx’s idea of ‘species-being’ or Gattungswesen, this presentation aims, on
the one hand, to sketch biocommunism as less techno-optimistic than Dyer-Witheford’s original proposal, and on the other, as less utopian than Wróbel's conception of biocommunism as an ‘overcoming of biopolitics’. Instead, I will suggest that biocommunism ought to be concerned with the present lives in their actual present situations as these present their bare or precarious suffering to the world. In conclusion, I am offering an interpretation of biocommunism as a possible reconception of Communism in an age where uncontrollable Nature has once again become visible. At the same time, I am also
offering a novel qualification of the earlier conceptions of biocommunism. The latter makes biocommunism a fruitful concept for further research under the present conditions – climate change, COVID19, etc. – because the qualification suggests a need to reorient
Communism towards life itself rather than society. Lastly, biocomminism can provide us with this reorientation without any recourse to positing neither a technological nor a post-biopolitical future.
In my presentation, I engage with various problematics related to the divide between the 'rich/poor', 'north/south', 'first/second/third', countries as this becomes visible in the disparity in both the pace of the roll-out and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. After describing this divide, I will then briefly account for, and later critique, various initiatives seeking to remedy this or similar issues (see e.g. The Health Impact Fund or the COVID-19 Vaccines Advance Market commitment initiative by Gavi). My presentation aims to provide a problematization of such altruism initiatives. In light of what has been colloquially called 'vaccine nationalism', this kind of altruism seems to have been sidelined (for now). Hence, it becomes prudent to question the feasibility of these kinds of initiatives, not only because of their lack of effectiveness (visible during the current pandemic) but because their 'noble' aims might not be so noble in the end. In conclusion, my presentation proposes that this kind of altruism is a band-aid rather than a fix to the structural inequality that exists between the 'rich/poor', 'north/south', 'first/second/third', countries.
In this essay, I attempt to provide a sketch of a Foucauldian critique of various legal measures taken by the Danish government to cope with the current Coronavirus pandemic. On the one hand, this essay illuminates the extra-legal, or illegal, measures employed to halt the spread of Coronaviruses among the human and mink population in Denmark. On the other hand, the essay hopes to provide other scholars with a theoretical outline for examining the use of extra-legal measures in other geographical or state settings. The essay concludes by proposing the fruitfulness of critiquing the current measures via the notion of bio-communism. This is a term which opposes both an optimistic belief in capitalist altruism; donations of vaccines to low-income countries, and the social-liberal concern with saving the 'lives' of the population; because of its intrinsic value. Instead, bio-communism would seek recourse to the life of the individual in its actual situation.