MC: Ewa Domanska: Towards an Affirmative Humanities

The aim of this masterclass is to explore the potential for transformation of the humanities by effecting a shift away from the domination of negative concepts and instead working towards a future-orientated outlook in research on cultures past and present. The masterclass considers cases from history, anthropology and philosophy, including overlooked examples of non-European ontologies and epistemologies, to highlight how humanities’ emancipatory potential has been overwhelmed by the wave of studies on, for example, melancholy, mourning and trauma.

The masterclass is framed by critical discussion of the relations between posthumanism and postmodernism, thus informing our exploration individuals’ and communities’ practices in relation to structures of power. Resistance is one of the concepts considered, but it is recontextualized as a response not necessarily to an act of oppressive power but to a lack of authority and legitimacy. The questions of power, authority and violence inspired by the work of Foucault and Judith Butler, among others, are important here, particularly in their broader relevance for considering future directions in the humanities. In line with the suggested readings, space emerges for consideration of the affirmative potential of the humanities, where Braidotti’s concepts of an ‘ethics of affirmation’ and ‘affirmative empowerment’ acquire critical potential.

Doctoral researchers from a broad range of humanities disciplines will find this masterclass appealing as it explores the future relevance of the field. The session will be particularly significant for those interested in critiques of Eurocentric modernity and anthropocentricism, in the potential of eco-utopias, or the broader questions of temporality in research. The masterclass will also be open to specific questions relating to individual research projects, particularly where they resonate with Ewa Domańska’s experience as a transatlantic scholar in history, anthropology and the critical humanities more broadly.

Non-GCSC participants should register for the event with Paul Vickers – paul.vickers@gcsc.uni-giessen.de. Any participants wishing to submit questions regarding the themes of the events with her or regarding tehri own projects should also email Paul Vickers.

Recommended reading:

• Rosi Braidotti, Powers of Affirmation: Response to Lisa Baraitser, Patrick
  Hanafin and Clare Hemmings. "Subjectivity", vol. 3, no. 2, 2010: 140-148. 
• Ariella Azoulay, Potential History: Thinking through Violence. Critical
  Inquiry, vol. 39, no. 3, Spring 2013: 548-574.
• Immanuel Wallerstein, Eurocentrism and its Avatars: The Dilemmas of Social
  Science. New Left Review, no. 226, November 1, 1997: 93-108. (Optional)