Cut of the Real
Subjectivity in Poststructuralist Philosophy
Columbia University Press
Cut of the Real
Subjectivity in Poststructuralist Philosophy
Columbia University Press
Following François Laruelle's nonstandard philosophy and the work of Judith Butler, Drucilla Cornell, Luce Irigaray, and Rosi Braidotti, Katerina Kolozova reclaims the relevance of categories traditionally rendered "unthinkable" by postmodern feminist philosophies, such as "the real," "the one," "the limit," and "finality," thus critically repositioning poststructuralist feminist philosophy and gender/queer studies.
Poststructuralist (feminist) theory sees the subject as a purely linguistic category, as always already multiple, as always already nonfixed and fluctuating, as limitless discursivity, and as constitutively detached from the instance of the real. This reconceptualization is based on the exclusion of and dichotomous opposition to notions of the real, the one (unity and continuity), and the stable. The non-philosophical reading of postructuralist philosophy engenders new forms of universalisms for global debate and action, expressed in a language the world can understand. It also liberates theory from ideological paralysis, recasting the real as an immediately experienced human condition determined by gender, race, and social and economic circumstance.
Poststructuralist (feminist) theory sees the subject as a purely linguistic category, as always already multiple, as always already nonfixed and fluctuating, as limitless discursivity, and as constitutively detached from the instance of the real. This reconceptualization is based on the exclusion of and dichotomous opposition to notions of the real, the one (unity and continuity), and the stable. The non-philosophical reading of postructuralist philosophy engenders new forms of universalisms for global debate and action, expressed in a language the world can understand. It also liberates theory from ideological paralysis, recasting the real as an immediately experienced human condition determined by gender, race, and social and economic circumstance.
Cut of the Real is an important and original contribution to the complex discussions relating to subjectivity and identity. Through her nuanced reading of Lacan and Laruelle, Katerina Kolozova creates a powerful argument for a notion of democratic love that allows us to break through some of the ambiguities that have attended discussions of subjectivity, human nature, and the possibility of meaningful or radical social change. Her book will be a must-read in fields as diverse as philosophy, anthropology, and law. Drucilla Cornell, Rutgers University
Kolozova's important new book is a fascinating disruption of the assumptions of poststructuralist feminism. Her creative extension of the 'non-philosophy' of Laruelle radicalizes feminist philosophy as it expands possibilities for theorizing the real as experienced. This is a major contribution to the new materialism. Jodi Dean, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Cut of the Real is destined to be an important contribution to ongoing debates in feminist, queer, gender, and race theory, as well as the newly emerging philosophical trend of speculative realism. It is my belief that Kolozova's book is the best introduction to Laruelle's thought to date and that it does an exceptional job discussing why it is valuable and what it can do. Levi R. Bryant, Collin College
Cut of the Real is polemical and adventurous. It is also innovative in the positions it carves out for itself and in the figures and traditions it employs to carve them. On the one hand, it illuminates the value of [speculative realism and object-oriented ontology] for feminist theory, which in itself is an important theoretical achievement seeing as certain figures associated with these traditions. . . . systematically dismiss feminist theory as unimportant. On the other hand, this work also brings to the fore the ethical and political implications of the realist perspective. Hypatia
Kolozova not only provides a valuable critique of the discursive grammar of contemporary continental philosophy, but also points the way beyond critique towards new constructive iterations of the concepts of the One and the Real. Parrhesia
This work is an intersection of gender studies, philosophy, culture studies, with pertinent aspects of subjectivity. Anyone interested in any of these fields or connected with the humanities should read this book. Slavic and East European Journal
Foreword: Gender Fiction, by François Laruelle
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. On the One and on the Multiple
2. On the Real and the Imagined
3. On the Limit and the Limitless
4. The Real Transcending Itself (Through Love)
5. The Real in the Identity
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. On the One and on the Multiple
2. On the Real and the Imagined
3. On the Limit and the Limitless
4. The Real Transcending Itself (Through Love)
5. The Real in the Identity
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index