Special issue Parallax on onto-epistemologies and the critical humanities
In July a special edition of the journal was published, edited by Dr and Dr . In 鈥楧iffracted Worlds 鈥 Diffractive Readings: Onto-Epistemologies and the Critical Humanities鈥, several scholars engage in a theoretical exercise, rethinking the concepts of ontology and epistemology (the questions of being and knowing). Inspired by the ideas of Donna Haraway, who emphasised the mutual interdepence between meaning-making and matter, the authors provide worldviews in which the question what something is, is inherently entangled with how we try to understand it.
Diffraction
In her article 鈥樷 (1992), Donna Haraway introduced the metaphor of 鈥榙iffraction鈥. By referring to this concept from physical optics, which is used to describe the interference pattern of diffracting light rays, she argues for an epistemology in which differences are not seen as oppositional and radical. Scientific ways of knowing should no longer take the shape of reflective, disinterested judgments. Moving away from a representationalist epistemology, Haraway proposes a move to 鈥渕attering and embedded involvement鈥.
Diffraction is attractive 鈥 also to this special issue of Parallax 鈥 as alternative vocabulary and different technology for critical inquiries: as an image of thought and 鈥 or better even 鈥 鈥榓s鈥 a praxis of analysis that foregrounds differentiality and provides alternatives to the hegemonic, reflective mode of epistemology in the academic world today.
The authors
Birgit Kaiser is Assistant Professor in Comparative Literature. In her work on literatures of the 18th to 21st century, she pays particular attention to affectivity, aesthetics and subjectivity and critique.
Kathrin Thiele is Assistant Professor for Gender Studies in the Graduate Gender Program, Department of Media and Culture Studies. Her research interests include continental philosophy, feminist theories of difference, and posthumanist studies.
Together, Kaiser and Thiele initiated the international academic network , which brings together scholars specialising in critical and cultural theory.
Besides an introduction and two chapters from the editors, 鈥楧iffracted Worlds 鈥 Diffractive Readings: Onto-Epistemologies and the Critical Humanities鈥 features contributions from (木瓜福利影视 of California) and (Europa Universit盲t Viadrina). Several scholars from Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 contributed as well, including Dr and Prof. .