The Implications of Immanence: Toward a New Concept of Life (Perspectives in Continental Philosophy)

The Implications of Immanence develops a philosophy of life in opposition to the notion of “bio-power,” which reduces the human to the question of power over what Giorgio Agamben terms “bare life,” mere biological existence. Breaking with all biologism or vitalism, Lawlor attends to the dispersion of death at the heart of life, in the “minuscule hiatus” that divides the living present, separating lived experience from the living body and, crucially for phenomenology, inserting a blind spot into a visual field. Lawlor charts here a post-phenomenological French philosophy. What lies beyond phenomenology is “life-ism,” the positive working out of the effects of the “minuscule hiatus” in a thinking that takes place on a “plane of immanence,” whose implications cannot be predicted. Life-ism means thinking life and death together, thinking death as dispersed throughout life. In carefully argued and extensively documented chapters, Lawlor sets out the surpassing of phenomenology and the advent of life-ism in Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, and Foucault, with careful attention to the writings by Husserl and Heidegger to which these thinkers refer. A philosophy of life has direct implications for present-day political and medical issues. The book takes its point of departure from the current genocide in Darfur and provides conceptual tools for intervening in such issues as the AIDS epidemic and life-support for the infirm. Indeed, the investigations contained in The Implications of Immanence are designed to help us emerge once and for all out of the epoch of bio-power. “Lawlor’s novel way of treating the concept of life is stimulating, original, and necessary for the social well being of our time.”―Fred Evans, Duquesne University “ The Implications of Immanence continues the most promising, rigorous, and fruitful ongoing research project among scholars of twentieth-century philosophy. . . .A wonderful new book.”―John Protevi, Louisiana State University Leonard Lawlor Develops A Philosophy Of Life In Opposition To The Notion Of 'bio-power, ' Which Reduces The Human To The Question Of Power Over What Giorgio Agamben Terms 'bare Life', Mere Biological Existence. He Provides Conceptual Tools For Intervening In Issues Such As The Aids Epidemic & Life-support For The Infirm. Introduction: Signs -- Verstellung (misplacement) : Completions Of Immanence -- With My Hand Over My Heart, Looking You Right In The Eyes, I Promise Myself To You--: Reflections On Derrida's Interpretation Of Husserl -- For The Creation Waits With Eager Longing For The Revelation : From The Deconstruction Of Metaphysics To The Deconstruction Of Christianity In Derrida -- Eschatology And Positivism : The Critique Of Phenomenology In Derrida And Foucault -- Un écart Infime (part I) : Foucault's Critique Of The Concept Of Lived-experience (vécu) -- Un écart Infime (part Ii) : Merleau-ponty's Mixturism -- Noli Me Tangere : A Fragment On Vision In Merleau-ponty -- Un écart Infime (part Iii) : The Blind Spot In Foucault -- This Is What We Must Not Do : The Question Of Death In Merleau-ponty -- Metaphysics And Powerlessness : An Introduction To The Concept Of Life-ism -- Conclusion: The Followers. Leonard Lawlor. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 147-193) And Index. Frontmatter Acknowledgments (page ix) Abbreviations (page xiii) Introduction: Signs (page 1) 1 Verstellung ("Misplacement") (page 4) 2 With My Hand over My Heart, Looking You Right in the Eyes, I Promise Myself to You... (page 15) 3 "For the Creation Waits with Eager Longing for the Revelation" (page 30) 4 Eschatology and Positivism (page 45) 5 Un écart infime (Part I) (page 57) 6 Un écart infime (Part II) (page 70) 7 Noli me tangere (page 87) 8 Un écart infime (Part III) (page 91) 9 "This Is What We Must Not Do" (page 107) 10 Metaphysics and Powerlessness (page 122) Conclusion: The Followers (page 143) Notes (page 147) Index (page 195)