In the post and de-colonial theory, modernity is habitually featured as the embodiment of Western rationality and colonial expansion, which reached its utmost domination in global capitalism. Сritique of modernity is thereby often based on epistemic distinction between reason and senses, universality and indigeneity, culture and nature, humans and other-than-humans, secularity and sacrality, enlightenment and mythology. In this critique, the notions standing for rationality and universality are ascribed to the Western modernity, whereas those denoting senses, mythology, spiritism – are attributed to the global South, or the global East. While it is true that the vestiges of colonial mentality might be the principal cause for assigning these distinctions to the Western and non-Western geographies respectively, the critical thought happens to often overestimate them. Indeed, is reason valid for West predominantly, or can it be confined to rationality solely and devoid of the unthinkable? Are mythology and spiritism free from mechanicism? Likewise, was not modernity, along with its involvement with Western colonial capitalism, at the same time a platform for revolutionary struggles and critique of discrimination? The seminar will explore why certain theories, define emancipation and culture through adhering to their geography and hence call for desertion of modernity (Sylvia Wynter, Anselm Franke, Ferreira da Silva, Graber, Mignolo, Ariela Azoulay), and others, conversely, interpret modernity and reason as the vicious but inevitable condition for secularity and post-geographic commons (Glissant, Derrida, Vladimir Bibler, Evald Ilyenkov, Groys, Adorno, Warburg).
Mittwochs, 10.00, bi-weekly
Vorbesprechung und nach Vereinbarung: Oktober 29, 2025, 10.00 NB II, Raum 228, oder TBA
15 Personen
Anmeldung per mail an keti.chukhrov@abk-stuttgart.de