Oneself As a Universe
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Oneself as a Universe: Post-Humanism, Cosmopolitanism, and Contemporary Italian Thought by Roberto Mosciatti A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Romance Languages and Literatures: Italian) in the University of Michigan 2018 Doctoral Committee: Professor Vincenzo Binetti, Co-Chair Professor Lars Rensmann, University of Groningen, Co-Chair Professor Mika LaVaque-Manty Professor Gareth Williams Roberto Mosciatti [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4661-3104 © Mosciatti 2018 To my beloved Sarah Bennett, without whom many of these ideas would have never seen the light ii Acknowledgments Optimistically my memory will allow me to recall all people who significantly contributed to my intellectual and spiritual growth during the past few years. The opportunity to work under my advisor Vincenzo Binetti’s supervision has been a real blessing. Throughout my entire PhD journey, Vincenzo has represented an extremely steady point of reference for me from both the professional and personal viewpoints. His thorough feedback and directions helped me acquire a deeper self-awareness both as a scholar and as a (post-) human being, thus leading me to unveil the person I have become. Among many other things, I owe to Vincenzo the motivation to explore the borders separating philosophy, literature, and political theory, as well my rediscovered passion for the 1970s. Moreover, having Lars Rensmann as a Co-Chair of my Committee was for me a privilege as much as it was a joy. Inspiring my project from the very beginning, Lars’s guidance was crucial for grounding my knowledge regarding cosmopolitan political theory on solid foundations, also proving an immensely valuable resource on all levels. To this day his precious insights and considerations continue to nourish my desire to explore this field and sharpen my competence. I am also extremely grateful for all the support and advices I received from Gareth Williams, and above all for the enthusiasm he elicited within me about French Deconstruction and post-humanism in general. Thanks also to Mika LaVaque-Manty for his suggestions and for encouraging me to deepen the historical side of my inquiry, which ultimately proved pivotal. iii It is reductive to express in few words the enormous gratitude I feel for George Hoffmann; his priceless assistance, guidance, and friendship have signified a true light for me during all these years. A profound appreciation goes also to Karla Mallette, for the help she offered and everything she shared with me regarding the intersection crossing the areas of Mediterranean studies and cosmopolitan thought. Let me express a sincere gratefulness to my teaching coordinator Adelaide Smith; her competent leadership, support, and sense of empathy were given to my life as gifts which I will never forget. Thanks also to all the people I benefited from during the past ten years within the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures: Cristina, Alison, Giorgio, Romana, Sandra, Amaryllis, and all others. A truthful thanks to Desiree, whose generous assistance was in all circumstances a benediction, and to my dear friends Gugu and Mattia, with whom I shared excitement, thrills and frustrations during the whole doctoral adventure. Relying on the close and rebellious comradery established with Mattia, I was able to look at the surrounding societal dynamics from multiple critical perspectives, thus becoming more conscious of all factors that were affecting my daily life. Despite the long distance, my family is always with me. My dad’s eagerness to overcome one’s own limits, his love for the rigorousness in thinking, and his hard- working values animate the true essence of this project. My precious brother and best friend Daniele also resurfaces from numerous lines, particularly the most “cynic” ones. The ideals of frugality and self-sufficiency which will often be evoked are a debt to my beloved grandmothers Maria and Lida. An artistic sensitivity occasionally resounds within the text which was transmitted to me by my dear aunts Marina and Nedda, whereas I am obliged to my uncles Paolo and Vito regarding my passionate way to iv engage in political diatribes. None of the ideas appearing here would be the same without my muse Sarah, who was always willing to walk with me through both the ecstasy of the philosophical vision and the frightening vertigos of truth, constantly reminding me of who I really am and steadily keeping my eyesight towards my ultimate purposes. v Table of Contents Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………ii Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………..iii Abstract…………………………………………………………………………….........viii Introduction………………………………………………………………………..............1 CHAPTER 1……………………………………………………………………………..14 Cosmopolitanism and Humanism: the Suffering Other……………………………...14 Back to the Origins: Exclusion as a Blessing………………………………………..26 Cynicism and Post-Humanism……………………………………………………….36 The Italian Retrieval of Cynicism……………………………………………………52 CHAPTER 2……………………………………………………………………………..67 Prelude: on Negri’s Lack of Center………………………………………………….67 Parrhesia……………………………………………………………………………...75 Negativity and Mysticism: an Alternative Modernity?...................................75 Cynicism and Underdetermination…………………………………………..87 Multiculturalism, Self-assertion, Self-expression……………………………99 Diatribe…………………………………………………………………………….109 Mediterranean Cynicism…………………………………………………...109 vi Impurity as Mimesis: Resistance in the Post-Modern World……………...115 Democracy and Cosmopolitanism: a Diatribic Perspective……………….126 CHAPTER 3……………………………………………………………………………144 Prelude: Temporal Variations, Historical Collapses……………………………….144 Poverty in Time, first attempt: Delay………………………………………………153 Minor Neo-Humanisms: the New Autonomy of the South………………...153 Recognition, Affirmation, Singularity: the Way of the Quiet Maverick…...163 Poverty in Time, second attempt: Suspension……………………………………...174 Anthropocentrism, Sovereignty, Law: an Ontology of Formlessness……...174 Franciscan Cynicism: Towards a Transformative Cosmopolitics………….185 From Perpetual Peace to Perpetual Rebirth………………………………………...195 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………214 vii Abstract This project originates from the necessity to explain an uncanny fusion detected between cosmopolitan characteristics which Antonio Gramsci ascribed to Italian intellectual culture and the anti-humanistic connotations displayed by Italian Thought. Traditional cosmopolitan discourses inheriting the legacy of the Enlightenment generally align with humanistic perspectives whereas, as Roberto Esposito observes, Italian Theory has endorsed anti-humanistic viewpoints ever since the age of the Renaissance. How does one explain such a connection? Also, how are we to justify the ascetic categories of mysticism, weakness, slowness, bareness, etc. which proliferated among Italian thinkers starting from the late 1970s? In response to these questions, this work attempts to define the position that contemporary Italian philosophy defends with respect to the current debate on cosmopolitan theory. Neo-Kantian solutions proposed by authors such as Jϋrgen Habermas, Daniele Archibugi and David Held, will certainly be given some consideration. Importantly, these discourses acknowledge the necessity to rethink the role of both the state and international relations in view of the brutalities perpetrated by 20th century totalitarianisms and the present globalized geopolitical scenario. Advocating a reinforcement of global powers and counting faithfully on the authority of law, these theories nonetheless elicit some perplexities. On one hand, they presuppose a disbelief within people’s self-emancipating capacities and, on the other, are not sufficiently critical viii of the neoliberal agenda. This is even more evident when considering that most of the said authors do not express skepticism with respect to the promotion of human rights. While human rights are certainly needed now more than ever, in several cases they align with both a profit-oriented and imperialistic mentality. It is relieving to discover that cosmopolitanism was initially founded by the Greek Cynics as a non-humanistic discourse and that several authors, including Peter Sloterdijck and William Desmond, highlighted similarities connecting Greek Cynicism with contemporary European modes of thinking. The Cynic perspective can help one solve many of the aforementioned doubts, because it rejects conventional societal values such as wealth, fame, and power, while promoting moral ideals of liberty, equality, self- sufficiency, and ascetic practices. In view of these premises, this study will pursue the hypothesis that, beginning with the publication of Massimo Cacciari’s Krisis (1976), Italian Philosophy and Literature have embraced a critical rhetoric which partially moves away from Marxian views and gradually retrieves cynic ideas. More specifically, the inquiry will unfold along two different paths: the historical-cultural analysis will be utilized as a material support for reaching theoretical-philosophical targets. Regarding the historical-cultural aspect, I will clarify to what extent contemporary Italian philosophy and literature retrieve Greek Cynic contents. This part of the theory will develop according to three fundamental factors which separate the sphere of the “human” from the domain of the “non-human”. The first two factors, “reason” and “language”, will be discussed within chapter 2 by exploring the work of Massimo Cacciari,