Nafssiya, or Edward Said's Affective Phenomenology of Racism

This book adapts the Arabic term nafsiyya to trace the phenomenological contours of Edward Said’s analysis of the affective dimensions of colonial and imperial racism. Reflecting on what he called his “colonial education,” Said rendered his Palestinian/Arab background and experience of racism an enabling component of his academic work. The argument focuses on his “personal dimension” section in his introduction to his famous volume Orientalism, discussing key notions of Said’s oeuvre—such as ‘elaboration,’ ‘circumstance,’ ‘humanism,’ ‘worldliness,’ ‘inventory,’ and ‘critical consciousness.’ Providing a lengthy study of his earlier and somewhat neglected Beginnings: Intention and Method, the book discusses the significance of the style of the essay as a key component of what the author calls Said’s interventionist brand of scholarship. The final chapter outlines how Said’s oeuvre can be situated in a genealogy of a radical phenomenology of racism that emerged from the colonies. Acknowledgements Contents About the Author Chapter 1: Introduction: The Strange Disjunction That “Strange Disjunction” A “Phenomenology of the Colony” Nafssiya Giving an Account of Oneself Gramscian Insights, Palestinian (Af)Filiations Getting Personal References Chapter 2: Inventorying the Self: Nafssiya, Elaboration, Recursive Humanism Inventories of Self Inventories of Nafssiya Gramsci’s and Said’s Elaboration Recursive Humanism References Chapter 3: Archival Repositories, Embodied Repertoires, Marxism Programmatic Overtures Between Archive and Repertoire Said’s Embodied Repertoire Said and Marxism Travelling Theory References Chapter 4: Beginnings: Said’s Interventionist Scholarship Phenomenological Livelihood of Literature and Cultural Criticism Beginnings as Transitive Constellations The Essay as Beginning Intention Exile Said’s Critique of “Linguicity” Being in the World: Between Beginnings and Orientalism Bridging Beginnings and Orientalism References Chapter 5: Giving an Account of Himself Prelude Critique Tracking the “Subject-of” References Chapter 6: Towards a Phenomenology of Racism The Arab Portrayed Said and Merleau-Ponty Phenomenological Closures A Phenomenology of Race In Conclusion References Index The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.