Constellations, Mediation and Mimesis: Relationality in Ethical life

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

How can relationality help us understand ethical life? In this paper I argue that traditional forms of moral philosophy predicated on the individual not only disavow relationality but induce indifference towards others. Instead of offering normative justifications or foundations for individual action, I consider the relationality within ethical life. I maintain that ethical life is a contingent possibility mediated by particular constellations of concepts, discourses and material structures. As such I argue that ethical life is not instituted on abstract principles but through mimetically constituted relations with our human and non-human others. I explain that mimesis is both a relational way of doing justice to things in their particularity and an ongoing affirmation of our relations with others. Understanding ethical life means to go beyond theories of
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recognition, to see that mimesis extends outside human relations to our relationship with the material world. Subsequently I argue that mimesis displaces the individual by bringing persons and the worlds we inhabit into an ethical relation.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 4 Apr 2023
Event On Relationalities: Politics, Narrative, Sociality - University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom
Duration: 5 Apr 20235 Apr 2023
https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/cappe/2022/12/08/call-for-papers-on-relationalities-politics-narrative-sociality/

Conference

Conference On Relationalities: Politics, Narrative, Sociality
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityBrighton
Period5/04/235/04/23
Internet address

Keywords

  • ethical life
  • constellations
  • Butler
  • Adorno
  • mimesis

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