ImaginingCosmopolitanism Through the Imaginalof anOther

Michael Murphy16/10/2022 Michael Murphy RHUL 23/06/14

Introduction Cosmopolitanism

Essential Idea of being human

The possibility of critical transformation in the encounter with Other

Aim of research: to provide a framework for a critical cosmopolitanism to draw on resources globally and locally

16/10/2022 Michael Murphy RHUL 23/06/14

The ProblemCosmopolitanism holds the promise to re-imagine the world

In order to identify sources of critical dialogue rather than to simply excavate cultures of global shared values

To move beyond conceptual Eurocentrism and other ethno-centric approaches

16/10/2022Michael Murphy RHUL 23/06/14

Contributions from my Research• Relational social ontology beyond purely cognitive accounts (Somatic, Emotional, etc.) Essential humanity as relational

• Own individuality through difference-critical transformation

• Maintain ontic and epistemic location

• Approach grounded in Space (social relations) and not time

• Introduce aesthesis to social theory

• Reconsider the concept imagination beyond individual faculty or social context to introduce the concept of Imaginal (Chiara Bottici 2011;2014)

16/10/2022 Michael Murphy RHUL 23/06/14

16/10/2022 Michael Murphy RHUL

DetailsWatsuji Tetsurō• Aidagara (individuality and relationships) provides the framework of social ontology

• Account of Mind/Body relationship to ontic and epistemic location

• Aesthesis- heightened alertness to the world as experienced through space and time combined; “perception as experienced” beyond mere “recognition” or representation

• Social relationships (spatial) rather temporal (modernity, globalisation, etc.) provide the grounding for social and political analysis

Chiara Bottici (2011: forthcoming 2014)• Imagination-rather than being an individual faculty or social context (Castoriadis 1987) Aidagara forces us to seek a new concept-Imaginal-that is experienced through Aidagara

Michael Murphy RHUL 23/06/14

In Comparison to Other approaches Delanty: Relational social ontology though restricted to cognitive accounts

Mignolo: Maintains Ontic and Epistemic location at the cost of difference

Mignolo: Provides an AestheSis at the same cost of difference

Both provide accounts that privilege temporal change, globalisation, modernity, at the cost of spatial accounts of change (social relationships)

Imagination: Both accounts privilege the social context, globalisation or the ethnic identity, for the possibilities of imaginative change

16/10/2022 Michael Murphy RHUL 23/06/14

Conclusions

16/10/2022 Michael Murphy RHUL 23/06/14

Through Watsuji’s concept of Aidagara and his account of aesthesis as well by reformulating the concept of the Imaginal to take account of aidagara provides an approach to a critical cosmopolitanism that:

• Moves beyond conceptual Eurocentrism

• Provides a relational social ontology grounded in space

• Maintains ontic and epistemic location of the body

• Maintains difference

• Provides a resource of options through which to critically draw on globally and locally