The Life of the Senses: Introduction to a Modal Anthropology (Sensory Studies Series)

Translated by Jamie Furniss. With an Introduction by David HowesBoth a vital theoretical work and a fine illustration of the principles and practice of sensory ethnography, this much anticipated translation is destined to figure as a major catalyst in the expanding field of sensory studies.Drawing on his own fieldwork in Brazil and Japan and a wide range of philosophical, literary and cinematic sources, the author outlines his vision for a ‘modal anthropology’. François Laplantine challenges the primacy accorded to ‘sign’ and ‘structure’ in conventional social science research, and redirects attention to the tonalities and rhythmic intensities of different ways of living. Arguing that meaning, sensation and sociality cannot be considered separately, he calls for a “politics of the sensible” and a complete reorientation of our habitual ways of understanding reality.The book also features an introduction to the sensory and social thought of François Laplantine and the Sensory Studies series by series editor David Howes. Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 CONTENTS 6 The Extended Sensorium: Introduction to the Sensory and Social Thought of Fran莽ois Laplantine 8 Attending to the Sensible 9 Modal Thinking 10 The Extended Sensorium 13 Acknowledgments 15 Translator鈥檚 Preface 16 Prologue 20 1 The Brazilian Art of the Ginga: Walking, Dancing, Singing 22 Gingar and Dansar 22 Gingado and Jeitinho 24 Ginga and Rhythmics of Curvature 26 Ginga and Bossa Nova 28 2 The Choreographic Model 32 Folds 32 Body, Paradigm and Syntagma 35 Topos and Choros 36 3 Pains and Pleasures of the Binary: The Dichotomy of Meaning and the Sensible 38 Fundamental Oppositions: The Sensible and the Intelligible. Puritans and the Debauched 39 Benjy鈥檚 Story: Saying the Sensible? 43 Disjunction, Conjunction, Translation and Modulation 46 The Sensible, Sounds and Images: The Contribution of Cinema 50 Temporalities and Cross-Cutting Paths 52 4 The Semantic Obsession 56 The Optical and Spatial Determination of the Real 56 The Social Catch-All 57 Sense Saturation. The Tricks of the Ideology of the Present, of Presence, and of Representation 59 The Off-Screen3 61 Apprehending the Sensible: To Take, to Detach Oneself, to be Surprised 63 Passages, Smugglers, Precursors 69 5 The Sensible, the Social, Category and Energy 72 Life and Category 74 The Rhythmic Character of the Living 76 From Category to Mode: Spinoza, or Life as Intensity 77 A Botanical Rethinking of the Social: Jean-Jacques Rousseau 79 Vitality and Sociality: Lumi猫re, Freud, Bergson 81 Life in the Field, From Social Facts to Social Acts 83 6 Two Precursors to an Anthropology of the Sensible: Roger Bastide and Georges Bataille 86 Roger Bastide: Category Thinking Questioned by Energy Thinking 88 Georges Bataille: Category Thinking Submerged by Energy Thinking 94 7 Living Together, Feeling Together: Toward a Politics of the Sensible 100 The Bearable Lightness of Being 100 The Continuity of the Sensible and the Political 103 Agreement and Gap 105 Cinema, Collaborator or Resistance Fighter? 106 From the Anesthesia of the One to the Resistance of the Multiple 110 8 Sensible Thought: Thinking Through the Body- subject in Movement 114 Spinoza Once Again 114 Detour via Tehran with Jafar Panahi 117 Aside: Splitting Wood 118 Montaigne 119 Corporeality, Vocality and Gestuality 121 Epilogue in the Form of Seven Propositions: Toward a Modal Anthropology 124 Proposition 1: The Illusions of the Principle of Arythmicity 126 Proposition 2: To No Longer Fear the Real3 129 Proposition 3: Language as Question4 132 Proposition 4: Words That Don鈥檛 Reify the Subject 133 Proposition 5: Language for Saying What Exceeds It 135 Proposition 6: Against the Sirens of Irrationality, a Resolutely Critical Form of Thinking 137 Proposition 7: The Necessary Mediation of the Aesthetic 140 Supplement : Sensing Tokyo 144 NOTES 150 BIBLIOGRAPHIES 158 INDEX 166 "Both a vital theoretical work and a fine illustration of the principles and practice of sensory ethnography, this much anticipated translation is destined to figure as a major catalyst in the expanding field of sensory studies. Drawing on his own fieldwork in Brazil and Japan and a wide range of philosophical, literary and cinematic sources, the author outlines his vision for a 'modal anthropology'. François Laplantine challenges the primacy accorded to 'sign' and 'structure' in conventional social science research, and redirects attention to the tonalities and rhythmic intensities of different ways of living. Arguing that meaning, sensation and sociality cannot be considered separately, he calls for a "politics of the sensible" and a complete reorientation of our habitual ways of understanding reality.The book also features an introduction to the sensory and social thought of François Laplantine and the Sensory Studies series by series editor David Howes"-- "Both a groundbreaking theoretical work and an excellent illustration of the principles and practice of sensory ethnography, this much anticipated translation is destined to figure as a major catalyst in the emergent field of sensory studies. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly sources, as well as film, literature, and his own field experience in Brazil and Japan, the author outlines his vision for a 'modal anthropology'. François Laplantine questions the primacy of 'sign' and 'structure' in conventional social science research, and focusses attention on the tonalities and rhythmic intensities of our consciousness of the world. Arguing that meaning, sensation and sociality cannot be considered separately, he calls for a 'politics of the sensible' keyed to the life experience of the individual human subject"-- "Both a vital theoretical work and a fine illustration of the principles and practice of sensory ethnography, this much anticipated translation is destined to figure as a major catalyst in the expanding field of sensory studies. Drawing on his own fieldwork in Brazil and Japan and a wide range of philosophical, literary and cinematic sources, the author outlines his vision for a 'modal anthropology'. François Laplantine challenges the primacy accorded to 'sign' and 'structure' in conventional social science research, and redirects attention to the tonalities and rhythmic intensities of different ways of living. Arguing that meaning, sensation and sociality cannot be considered separately, he calls for a "politics of the sensible" and a complete reorientation of our habitual ways of understanding reality. The book also features an introduction to the sensory and social thought of François Laplantine and the Sensory Studies series by series editor David Howes"-- Provided by publisher Both a vital theoretical work and a fine illustration of the principles and practice of sensory ethnography, this much anticipated translation is destined to figure as a major catalyst in the expanding field of sensory studies. Drawing on his own fieldwork in Brazil and Japan and a wide range of philosophical, literary and cinematic sources, the author outlines his vision for a 'modal anthropology'. François Laplantine challenges the primacy accorded to 'sign' and 'structure' in conventional social science research, and redirects attention to the tonalities and rhythmic intensities of different ways of living. Arguing that meaning, sensation and sociality cannot be considered separately, he calls for a 'politics of the sensible' and a complete reorientation of our habitual ways of understanding reality. The book also features an introduction to the sensory and social thought of François Laplantine by the editor of the Sensory Studies series, David Howes. "Both a groundbreaking theoretical work and an excellent illustration of the principles and practice of sensory ethnography, this much anticipated translation is destined to figure as a major catalyst in the emergent field of sensory studies. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly sources, as well as film, literature, and his own field experience in Brazil and Japan, the author outlines his vision for a 'modal anthropology'. François Laplantine questions the primacy of 'sign' and 'structure' in conventional social science research, and focusses attention on the tonalities and rhythmic intensities of our consciousness of the world. Arguing that meaning, sensation and sociality cannot be considered separately, he calls for a 'politics of the sensible' keyed to the life experience of the individual human subject"-- Provided by publisher Machine generated contents note: Introduction to Laplantine by David Howes, Concordia University, CanadaTranslator's PrefacePrologue Chapter 1: The Brazilian Art of the Ginga; Walking, Dancing, SingingChapter 2: The Choreographic ModelChapter 3: Pains and Pleasures of the Binary: The Dichotomy of Meaning and the SensibleChapter 4: The Semantic ObsessionChapter 5: The Sensible, the Social, Category and EnergyChapter 6: Two Precursors of an Anthropology of the Sensible: Roger Bastide and Georges BatailleChapter 7: Living Together, Feeling Together: Towards a Politics of the SensibleChapter 8: Sensible Thought: Thinking through the Body-Subject in MovementEpilogue in the Form of Seven Propositions: Toward a Modal AnthropologySupplement: Sensing TokyoNotesBibliographyIndex.