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The Cosmos Is Not Finished

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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 10-30-2020 1:00 PM The Cosmos is Not Finished Natalie B. Trevino, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Schaffer, Scott., The University of Western Ontario : Savino, Lucas., The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Theory and Criticism © Natalie B. Trevino 2020 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Recommended Citation Trevino, Natalie B., "The Cosmos is Not Finished" (2020). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7567. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7567 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. II Abstract The “Final Frontier” is the Cosmic Order of Coloniality. The frontier, the final frontier, the new frontier, the endless frontier – all oft-used analogies for outer space. This cosmic order, hegemonically superior since the late 1960s, even while losing popular and political power, orders the very essence of Western space exploration, its future, and possibilities. The Final Frontier is a totalizing and finalizing conception of Man and his future. Such an order reduces ways of knowing and being to colonial and capitalist modes, where all things are reduced to exploitation. In this, the future of the final frontier is hardly a future; it is a death march masked as salvation. Part of this appearance of salvation and actuality of death comes from the Puritan values that have stayed within the American cultural landscape, transformed into its secular counterpart: Survival, another aspect is that of the glorification of What Has Been, which is death. This glorification of death is itself concealed by the valuation of control and power, the expansion of the State and land. While the Final Frontier as a cosmic order is one of exploitation and control, this does not mean there is no Hope for a future. Indeed, while this work looks at the ways in which coloniality manifests in the American cosmic order in different forms (the values and norms of space advocates, the use of Frontierism in space policy and the public perceptions of the goals of space exploration), there is another way—it is not hegemonic, nor an easy road, but through the decolonization of the American narrative of space exploration lies a way forward: Hope, Cosmic Awe and Cosmic Revolution, the engagement with the unique material conditions of outer space that can impact socio-economic and political forms as well as the oft mentioned feeling of connection with the cosmos. It is through this that humanity can move away from space, as a frontier—a place to be conquered, but to space as an already existing part of the ecological system of which humanity already belongs. Keywords Space Exploration, Cosmic Orders, Coloniality, American History, Space Policy, Philosophy, Decolonial Theory, Chicana Feminist Theory, Marxism, Liberation, Anzaldúa, Dussel, Mignolo, Quijano, Epistemology. iii Summary for Lay Audience The outer space has long been considered the final frontier. But what does this metaphor bring with it into the future in space? I argue that the use of this metaphor signals that colonial practices are still present in American society and risk entering the future. iv Acknowledgments I would like to express my deepest appreciation for Dr. Scott Schaffer. He saw me through this tremulous process, reassuring me that it could be done. Not only did he support and encourage me while writing this work, he taught me more about teaching than I had imagined possible. I could not have done this without him. I appreciate everything and will forever be indebted to him for his willingness to work with a student as outspoken, rebellious and clueless as I am. Dr. Schaffer has been one of the best teachers I have ever had the honor of learning from, his commitment to his “old school punk” teaching style made me feel comfortable with my own rejection of a neoliberal model of education models that is heartless. This dissertation would not have been possible without the love and support of the two loves of my life, Frodo Fidel, and Eleanor Lucille. Their continuous love and cuddles saw me through my time at Western. RIP. It is with great love and appreciation I thank Andrew Woods for supporting and loving me. Thank you for pulling me out of my panics when I thought this was too much. I truly could not have done this without you. I love you. Of course, a big thank you to Mulberry Woods for being my faithful research assistant. I thank Lucas Savino for his generosity and help. His insights and resources were essential to the success of this work. The greatest of thanks goes to Jennifer Shaw. My best friend and closest ally. I also thank Matti, Gabi, Anja, and Zeke for those pillow fights and love. The Shaw-Landers are my Canadian family, and for that I am beyond grateful. Thank you to my Theory Centre allies, Nick, Tom, and Eric. Without these friends I would not have been able to survive the trying times of coursework, comps, and the bizarre culture of theory. It is with the greatest love and admiration I thank the amazing Lee Fraser for their friendship during my years working on this dissertation. I must thank Jon Doering for his friendship and support. I must also thank my former professors, Dr. Azfar Hussain, Dr. Christine Drewel, and Dr. E. Lee Meyrowitz, all of whom encouraged me and taught me the most valuable lessons of my life. It is because of Dr. Drewel I found another way so I could create another way. In addition, I thank my family, especially my mother, who never sent me to Space Camp, thus causing a lifelong fascination with space exploration. A great thank you to my sister Jacqueline and my brother-in-law Frank for their continued love and support. I also thank Rhonda McCarthy, Dickens, Grace, and Jen. And Jordan Scott for our discussions regarding Marx. v Dedication To the Moon. vi Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................... i Summary for Lay Audience ........................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ..................................................................................................................................................... v Chapter 1: The American Cosmic Order ................................................................................................... 1 In the Beginning ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Cosmic Americana .................................................................................................................................. 8 “Love is Never Idle” ............................................................................................................................. 18 The Map ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Chapter 2: Coloniality and Cosmos .......................................................................................................... 27 The Colonial Matrix of Power .............................................................................................................. 32 Cosmic Orders ....................................................................................................................................... 47 The Early Influences on the American Cosmic Order ....................................................................... 53 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 59 Chapter 3: The Final Frontier ................................................................................................................... 63 The Development of the Final Frontier ............................................................................................... 67 The Conditions of the Final Frontier ................................................................................................... 73 Visions of the future .............................................................................................................................. 81 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 91 Chapter 4: Policy, Paradigm and Public Opinion: .................................................................................. 95 The Conditions of Coloniality in Space Policy .................................................................................... 97 The Final Frontier and International Treaties .................................................................................
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