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Spacing the subject: Thinking subjectivity after non‐representational theory
Author(s) -
Simpson Paul
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geography compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.587
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 1749-8198
DOI - 10.1111/gec3.12347
Subject(s) - subject (documents) , subjectivity , alterity , epistemology , sociology , work (physics) , computer science , philosophy , engineering , mechanical engineering , library science
Abstract This paper reviews work in geography concerned with the spatialities of “the subject” after non‐representational theory (NRT). The paper looks at what talking about “the subject” might refer to, particularly amid the aftermath of the decentering of the subject that took place in the latter part of the 20th century across the humanities and social sciences. The paper then provides an overview of the impacts that NRT has had on how geographers have understood and approached the subject. In particular, the paper focuses on recent work in human geography which takes the subject to be in some way emergent from encounters with various more‐than human others/alterity. Reflecting on that work, the paper broaches questions around difference and distribution. Here, a range of questions and lines of enquiry which might now be pursued in developing this work further are offered. These are summarised around the need for a “spacing” of the subject.