Visceral Theory: Affect and Embodiment

Summary

This transcript explores the concept of affect theory, focusing on the unrepresentable and bodily intensities that traverse bodies. The speaker highlights how emotions or feelings are not merely subjective but are transmissible, circulating through bodies in ways that are often felt physically. Drawing on examples like charged atmospheres or contagious emotions, the discussion invites us to rethink what it means to be a subject, one whose boundaries are porous. A range of thinkers, including Brian Massumi and Teresa Brennan, are introduced, emphasizing experimental texts that provoke affective reactions in readers.

Takeaways

• 😀 The question of how to represent what is structurally unrepresentable is a recurring theme in 20th-century thought.
• 😀 Thinkers in affect theory are interested in categories that are set apart or unrepresentable, which leads to the concept of the 'effect'.
• 😀 Affect theory seeks to move away from the recent dominance of linguistic approaches in theory, focusing instead on bodies and the intensities or charges that traverse them.
• 😀 An example of affect is the atmosphere in a room after a fight, where a charged energy seems to permeate the space and affect those present.
• 😀 Another example is the contagious anxiety one might feel when riding with an anxious driver, showing how emotions can be transferred between people.
• 😀 A third example is when a book or a speech creates a physical, almost shocking, response in the reader or listener, showing how affect isn't just subjective or personal.
• 😀 These examples suggest that affect is something transmissible, circulating among and through bodies, rather than being solely internal or subjective.
• 😀 The theory of affect challenges the understanding of a subject as something with fixed boundaries, proposing instead that subjects are porous and influenced by external forces.
• 😀 This class will engage with various thinkers, including Brian Massumi, Yucca Austin, Sedgwick, Teresa Brennan, and others, all exploring the category of affect.
• 😀 The thinkers discussed in the class often work through experimental texts that aim to evoke effective reactions in their readers, illustrating the power of affect in practice.

Q & A

What is the central focus of the discussion in the transcript?

The transcript focuses on the concept of 'affect,' particularly how it relates to unrepresentable or unquantifiable experiences, emphasizing the body and its responses to external stimuli, as well as the importance of moving beyond traditional linguistic theory.

How does the transcript define affect in relation to traditional emotional or subjective experiences?

Affect in the transcript is portrayed as something that is not solely interior, subjective, or personal, but instead as something transmissible and circulating among bodies. It is presented as a force or intensity that can be experienced externally, like a charge that passes between people or environments.

What role does 'the trace' play in understanding affect?

The concept of 'the trace' in the transcript refers to something structurally unrepresentable, a category that remains elusive or unnameable. It is linked to the idea of effects, where certain experiences or forces are felt but cannot be easily categorized or linguistically represented.

Who are some of the thinkers mentioned in the transcript, and what is their contribution to affect theory?

Thinkers like Brian Massumi, Yucca Austin, Sedgwick, Teresa Brennan, Cathleen Stewart, and Lauren Burlington are mentioned. They all contribute to affect theory by exploring how affect operates beyond traditional language-based systems and delving into how bodies and intensities interact.

How does affect theory challenge traditional linguistic and psychological models?

Affect theory challenges traditional models by rejecting the primacy of language in understanding human experience. It emphasizes the physicality of affect, highlighting how emotions and feelings are not just internal or personal but can be contagious and have an external impact on individuals and environments.

What are some real-life examples of affect provided in the transcript?

The transcript gives examples like walking into a room where two people have been fighting, which creates a charged atmosphere; riding in a car with an anxious driver, whose anxiety becomes contagious; and reading or listening to a speaker whose words seem to physically impact or strike the listener.

What does the transcript suggest about the nature of subjects in affect theory?

The transcript suggests that subjects in affect theory are porous, meaning that they are not confined to their boundaries or sense of self. Affects can cross these boundaries and move through bodies, challenging the idea of the self as a separate, enclosed entity.

What is the significance of the term 'porous' in relation to subjects?

The term 'porous' refers to the idea that subjects are not sealed off from the external world. Affects and emotional charges can enter and influence individuals, highlighting the interconnectedness between people and their environments.

How do experimental texts relate to affect theory?

Experimental texts are seen as vehicles that provoke effective reactions in their readers. They are designed to elicit intense emotional or affective responses, reflecting the broader aims of affect theory to engage bodies and intensities in ways that transcend linguistic structures.

What is the importance of affect theory in contemporary philosophical discussions?

Affect theory plays a crucial role in contemporary philosophy by pushing beyond linguistic frameworks to understand how emotional, bodily experiences shape human interactions and societal structures. It provides new insights into subjectivity, emotion, and the physicality of feeling in ways that traditional theories often overlook.