i’ve been reading through a lot of material about subjectivity, exception and communities by agamben, zizek, and other writers influenced by them… and i am trying to put together a piece on just what the title says, “Being Homo Sacer”
initially, i had intended to focus on the perspective of the artist (in a loose sense - i include philosophers and writers of all sorts) as being made homo sacer, but also that a prerequisite of being an artist is being homo sacer. i find this to be an interesting position to take and i’m currently scribbling down ideas as they come to me.
i’m interested in what the community here has for responses to this undeveloped thesis - criticisms are also welcome.
thus far, i have plowed through almost all of zizek’s Metastases of Enjoyment, and agamben’s Homo Sacer. last night i picked up agamben’s latest (?) book State of Exception, but it seems to drift more toward politics than i think i want (though i will continue to push forward to see what comes of it).
in addition, i have been reading some of levinas’ Totality and Infinity as well as some irigaray and a couple of other postmodernist writers; from these come some ideas about narcissism that i think i could work into the final project. perhaps that narcissism makes being homo sacer easier? the narcissist affirms himself against society as homo sacer?
please give me something to work with people, there aren’t enough people around here that are attracted to the post-modernists (could just be a phase that i’m going through :shrug:)
well, i’ve been coming up with some interesting thoughts on this topic.
children are homo sacers, but not of their own doing.
narcissists are homo sacers that have no interest in the community
artists (again, loosely) are choosing to be homo sacers - there are various angles to look at this.
religious zealots are homo sacers because they’re denying the community in favor of the infinite community
basically, it seems my thesis here is developing into: If we are all homo sacers to an extent, what is it that makes us a community? i have another idea for a thesis, but i can’t remember it to a “T” and it is in a notebook in another building.
what do you all think?
in case anyone is interested, i did finish this essay and it is available on my website.
if you do read it, please let me know what you think; i’m always looking for feedback