JACQUES DERRIDA

Différance

" Différance is what makes the movement of signification possible . " This concept highlights the endless process of deferral and differentiation of meaning , showing that meaning is never fixed or immediate .

The Trace

The trace destabilises notions of pure presence by emphasising the " presence of absence " in every being and text . " The trace is not a presence but the simulacrum of a presence that dislocates itself . "

Deconstruction

A method that reveals hidden hierarchies and contradictions within systems and narratives . It challenges binaries and exposes the instability of meaning embedded in texts .

Hospitality

" Pure hospitality involves opening oneself to the Other , without conditions . " Derrida's ethics of hospitality calls for unconditional openness , even if it disrupts one’s own norms and boundaries .

FÉLIX GUATTARI

Ecosophy

A triadic ecological perspective — mental , social , and environmental — emphasising the interdependence of these dimensions . " The three ecologies must be understood as intimately interwoven . "

Assemblages

Dynamic configurations of interconnected elements that foster multiplicity while rejecting fixed categories . Guattari describes assemblages as " the diverse interrelations that create new possibilities . "

Micropolitics

Small-scale , everyday actions as sites of resistance and transformation . This concept encourages focusing on subtle , localised disruptions that challenge broader power structures .

Lines of Flight

Creative escapes from oppressive structures that open new possibilities for thought and existence . " A line of flight does not flee ; it constructs a real , yet unpredictable , escape . "

GILLES DELEUZE

Assemblage

" Assemblages are constellations of singularities and traits , selected , organised , and stratified to function as a collective . " Deleuze describes assemblages as dynamic systems that emerge through relationships and flows , resisting fixed categories . They are composed of heterogeneous elements that come together temporarily , creating new connections and possibilities .

The Movement-Image

Deleuze highlights how classical cinema presents time as subordinate to action , using movement to link events causally . This aligns with traditional storytelling but also contrasts with experimental approaches .

The Time-Image

" The time-image breaks the sensory-motor link , allowing time to emerge in its pure state . " This concept opens the door to fragmented narratives , indirect representation , and nonlinear editing , all central to experimental cinema .

Crystal-Image

" The crystal-image is the point where the actual and the virtual endlessly reflect and transform each other . " Deleuze suggests that this image blurs memory and perception , making it a powerful tool for exploring ambiguity and complexity .

Rhizome

" A rhizome is made of plateaus . It connects any point to any other point without hierarchy . " This concept breaks from linear organisation , offering a model for interconnection and multiplicity in storytelling and narrative design .

Becoming

" Becoming is neither one nor two , nor the relation of the two ; it is the in-between , the border or line of flight " .

Minor Cinema

" A minor literature doesn’t come from a minor language ; it makes the language itself minor . " By extension , minor cinema disrupts dominant forms , amplifying marginalised voices and fostering experimentation .

Bodies without Organs

" The body without organs is not an empty body stripped of its organs , but a body that has escaped organisation . " Deleuze uses this metaphor to challenge fixed identities and structures , encouraging exploration of pure potentiality .

Virtual

" The virtual is not opposed to the real ; it is the real in its essence . " Deleuze reframes the virtual as a dimension of potentiality , creating layered experiences in cinema and thought .

Event

" The event is not what occurs but rather the pure potential for something to occur . " Deleuze’s concept of the event invites exploration of moments that fracture linear time and open new possibilities .

Affect

" Affect is the passage from one state of experience to another . " It emphasises emotion and sensation over action or narrative .

Refrain

Deleuze suggests that repeating motifs can simultaneously ground and disrupt. " The refrain is rhythm as territory , but also as a means of deterritorialising the self ".

Nomadism

" A nomad thinks in terms of paths rather than positions . "

GUY DEBORD

Society of the Spectacle

" In societies dominated by modern conditions of production , life is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles . " Debord critiques the alienation caused by image-driven culture .

Détournement

The creative subversion and recontextualisation of cultural elements . This tactic undermines dominant narratives by transforming their meaning .

Dérive

Exploring the psycho geographical effects of urban spaces and their role in shaping human behaviour .

Situationist Praxis

Creating situations that disrupt everyday life to challenge alienation and commodification . Debord advocates for moments of lived intensity to resist capitalist control .

ALAIN DAMASIO

The Vif

" The ‘vif’ is what flows through you , lifts you , and burns within you . " In La Horde du Contrevent , the vif represents a vital force , embodying life , movement , and transformation .

Furtivity

" To be furtive is to relearn how to exist with the world without harming it . Damasio’s philosophy of presence that avoids domination and consumption, offering a way to explore gentler , more relational modes of being .

Traceology

" Leave your trace , but do not scar the world . " Traceology imagines a form of creation that leaves ephemeral , respectful marks rather than permanent impositions .

Tactical Disappearance

" Disappearing is not fleeing ; it is choosing not to reveal yourself . " In Les Furtifs , disappearance becomes an act of agency , resisting systems of control and surveillance . Exploring absence as a form of presence , questioning ingénieure visibility and its power .

Resonant Memory

" Memory is a vibration that continuously moves through us . " Damasio’s vision of memory as a dynamic force rather than a static archive suggests a way to explore time cinematically .

ÉDOUARD GLISSANT

Relation

" Relation is totality in motion . " Glissant's philosophy embraces interconnectedness , where beings and cultures co-exist without imposing hierarchies .

Opacity

The right to remain incomprehensible , resisting reductive transparency . " To demand transparency is to deny the Other's right to opacity . "

Creolisation

The ongoing and unpredictable mixing of cultures and identities , which creates new , hybrid forms without predetermined outcomes .

Archipelagic Thinking

Inspired by islands , this model values diversity and decentralisation over unity . " An archipelago resists systems that impose singularity . "

TIMOTHY MORTON

Hyperobjects

Vast , interconnected phenomena like climate change that exceed human comprehension . Morton writes , " Hyperobjects are viscous , non-local , and massively distributed in time and space . "

Dark Ecology

" Dark ecology compels us to rethink our relationship with nature . " This framework embraces complexity and uncertainty , rejecting simplistic ecological narratives .

Mesh

The interconnected web of life that dissolves boundaries between entities . " Interdependence sucks ! "

Romanticist Paradigm

" Romanticism remains an aesthetic and philosophical undercurrent , shaping ecological thought . " Morton critiques how the Romanticist legacy influences ideas of nature as something pristine and separate , advocating for a view of nature as entangled and impure .

WALTER BENJAMIN

Aura

" The aura of a work of art is its unique existence in a particular place . " This concept refers to the unrepeatable presence of an artwork in its original context .

Messianic Time

Moments that interrupt linear time , offering potential for radical transformation . Benjamin describes this as " the now-time pregnant with revolutionary possibility . "

History as a Ruin

History is not linear but fragmented , shaped by destruction and interruptions . " Every document of civilisation is also a document of barbarism . "

The Flâneur

An urban observer immersed in sensory experiences , emblematic of modernity’s fragmented nature . " The flâneur is a figure of discovery , revealing the city’s hidden stories . "

LUCE IRIGARAY

Sexual Difference

Sexual difference as a fundamental element of identity and relationality, beyond biological determinism.

Speculum of the Other Woman

A critique of how women have been reduced to mirrors of male identity in Western thought.

Ethics of Sexual Difference

An ethical framework based on mutual recognition of irreducible otherness.

Breath and Sensory Connection

Emphasising breath as a metaphor for life, relationality, and embodied presence.

ROSI BRAIDOTTI

Posthumanism

" Posthumanism is a redefinition of subjectivity beyond anthropocentrism , integrating ecological and technological perspectives . " This concept challenges human-centred views and explores interconnected relationships across species and systems .

Nomadic Subjectivity

A fluid identity that crosses boundaries and categories , resisting fixation . " Nomadic subjectivity refuses essentialist ideas and embraces constant transformation . "

Zoe-Centric Ethics

A life-centred ethics that prioritises interspecies and ecological relationality . " Zoe ethics offers a radical shift from human exceptionalism to a shared planetary perspective . "

Affirmative Ethics

An ethical framework focusing on creating new , life-affirming values . " Affirmative ethics seeks to generate positive and transformative alternatives for living together . "

DONNA HARAWAY

Cyborg

" A cyborg is a hybrid figure challenging binary oppositions like human / machine and nature / culture . " This metaphor disrupts traditional categories , offering a new way to think about identity and embodiment .

Sympoiesis

Collective co-creation across species and systems , emphasising interdependence . " Sympoiesis means making-with , and it reminds us that nothing exists in isolation . "

Situated Knowledges

" Situated knowledges reject the view of knowledge as universal , understanding it as partial , contextual , and embodied . " Haraway’s concept decentralises authority in favour of localised perspectives .

Making Kin

Rethinking kinship beyond biology to include ecological and ethical connections . " Making kin is about cultivating relationships with all forms of life on a shared planet . "

SIMONE WEIL

Attention

" Attention is pure presence and focus as an ethical and relational act . " Weil views attention as a profound way of engaging with others and the world .

The Void

Absence as a space for potentiality and creativity . " The void creates room for something new to emerge . "

Rootedness

The importance of connection and belonging in an age of displacement . " To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognised need of the human soul . "

JEAN-LUC NANCY

Being-with

" To be is to be with . The with is not an addition ; it is at the heart of being itself . " Nancy’s concept challenges the notion of isolated existence by placing interconnection at the core of being .

The Inoperative Community

" A community is not a communion that fuses its members into a single identity , but a sharing that recognises and respects their singularity . " Community becomes a space of openness , where individuals coexist without merging .

The Visible and the Invisible

Seeing involves more than what is immediately visible ; it reveals the limits of perception . " To see is to encounter the limit of the visible , where the invisible begins to speak . "

The Weight of the World

Globalisation is not a monolithic system but a fragile network of interwoven singularities . " The world is not a system but a plurality of singularities that weigh on each other . "

ALBERT CAMUS

The Absurd

" The absurd is born of the confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world . " This concept highlights the tension between humanity’s search for meaning and the universe’s indifference .

Revolt

Affirming life through defiance of nihilism , finding meaning in resistance . " To revolt is to create meaning , even in a world without inherent purpose . "

The Myth of Sisyphus

A metaphor for embracing the struggle of existence despite its futility . " One must imagine Sisyphus happy . " This reflects the possibility of finding joy in the persistence of life’s challenges .

Solidarity

Shared human vulnerability as a foundation for empathy and connection . " Real generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present . "

HENRI BERGSON

Duration

" Duration is the continuous progress of the past which gnaws into the future and swells as it advances . " Bergson contrasts this flowing , qualitative experience of time with measurable , linear time .

Creative Evolution

Life as a dynamic force driven by an élan vital of creativity . " Evolution does not only include adaptation ; it is the continual creation of the new . "

Intuition

A philosophical method prioritising direct , lived experience over abstraction . " Intuition is the means by which we grasp the essence of things , beyond analysis and intellect . "

Memory and Matter

Exploring the interplay between perception , memory , and reality . " Memory actualises itself through matter , shaping how we perceive the present and understand the past . "

MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY

Embodiment

" The body is our general medium for having a world . " Merleau-Ponty emphasises the inseparability of the body and perception , viewing the body as an active participant in constructing reality and meaning .

Flesh of the World

" The world and I are within one another . " This concept suggests that subject and object , self and world , are intertwined through a shared fabric of existence .

MICHEL SERRES

The Parasite

" Noise is the foundation of any system . " Serres explores how disruption and interference (noise) are generative forces within systems , creating new connections and possibilities .

The Natural Contract

" We must extend the social contract to include the earth itself . " Serres advocates for a rethinking of relationships between humans and the environment based on mutual respect and responsibility .

BRUNO LATOUR

Actor-Network Theory

" Objects too have agency . " Latour’s theory dissolves the boundary between human and non-human actors , viewing all entities as part of dynamic networks of influence .

Matters of Concern

" From matters of fact to matters of concern . " Latour argues for a shift from static facts to relational concerns that recognise complexity and multiplicity in truth-making processes .

ERIN MANNING

The Minor Gesture

" The minor gesture creates openings for the not-yet . " Manning emphasises subtle , peripheral actions that disrupt dominant systems and open spaces for transformation .

Relationscapes

" Movement is a relational act . " Manning explores how movement and affect co-constitute relational landscapes , weaving individual and collective experiences .

GLORIA ANZALDÚA

Borderlands

" A borderland is a vague and undetermined place created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary . " Anzaldúa’s concept explores the liminality and hybridity of spaces at the intersection of identities , cultures , and geographies .

Nepantla

" Nepantla is the in-between space where transformation happens . " This concept describes the state of being between worlds , a space of potential and becoming .

ANNA TSING

Entangled Life

" Life is lived in patches . " Tsing highlights the interconnected and interdependent nature of ecological systems and human economies , resisting linear narratives of progress .

Salvage Accumulation

" Capitalism thrives on what it did not produce . " Tsing critiques the way global systems extract value from remnants , marginal spaces , and ecological leftovers .

BYUNG-CHUL HAN

The Burnout Society

" We are no longer disciplined subjects but achievement subjects . " Han critiques the pressures of self-optimisation and productivity in contemporary society , which lead to exhaustion and alienation .

Transparency Society

" Total transparency leads to the end of trust . " Han explores how the demand for openness and visibility undermines intimacy and depth in social and personal relationships .

DAVID ABRAM

The Spell of the Sensuous

" Perception is always participatory . " Abram emphasises the reciprocity between humans and the natural world , where perception is an embodied act of connection .

Animism

" The world is alive with presence . " Abram reclaims animism as a way of experiencing the vitality and agency of the more-than-human world .

KAREN BARAD

Agential Realism

" Agency is not an attribute but a doing . " Barad’s theory challenges traditional boundaries between subject and object , proposing that matter and meaning emerge through interactions .

Quantum Entanglement

" Inseparability is the ontological condition of the universe . " Barad uses the concept of entanglement to highlight the interconnectedness of all entities and phenomena .

GIORGIO AGAMBEN

Bare Life

" The camp is the nomos of the modern . " Agamben explores how sovereign power reduces individuals to mere biological existence , stripped of political and social value .

Potentiality

" Potentiality is not non-being but the capacity to not be . " Agamben examines the tension between what is and what could be , focusing on the potential for transformation and resistance .

JAMES BRIDLE

New Dark Age

" As our world grows more complex , it becomes harder to see . " Bridle critiques the opacity of technology and its role in amplifying ignorance amidst information overload .

Cloud Thinking

" The cloud is everywhere and nowhere . " Bridle explores the physical and metaphorical implications of cloud computing , highlighting its environmental and social costs .

PETER SLOTERDIJK

Spheres

" Existence is co-existence in shared spaces . " Sloterdijk’s concept of spheres examines the creation of shared environments , from intimate bubbles to global systems .

Anthropotechnics

" Humans are self-designing animals . " Sloterdijk explores how humans actively shape their environments and themselves through rituals , practices , and technologies .

EMANUELE COCCIA

The Life of Plants

" Life happens in the air . " Coccia rethinks plants as central actors in the web of life , connecting humans and non-humans through breath and atmosphere .

Metaphysics of Mixture

" Everything exists through everything else . " Coccia emphasises the interconnectedness of all existence , dissolving boundaries between beings and environments .

EUGENE MINKOWSKI

Lived Time

" Time is not measured ; it is felt . " Minkowski describes the subjective experience of time as fluid and dynamic , contrasting with linear , clock-based conceptions .

Vital Contact

" Life is the contact of presence with presence . " Minkowski’s phenomenology highlights the immediacy of lived experience and the connections it fosters .

EUGENE THACKER

The World Without Us

" The world is not for us . " Thacker examines the limits of human thought in confronting a universe that exists independently of human presence and comprehension .

Horror

" Philosophy begins in the darkness of the unknown . " Thacker explores how horror reveals the fragility of human-centric views of existence and thought .

MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY

Embodiment

" The body is our general medium for having a world . " Merleau-Ponty emphasises the inseparability of the body and perception , viewing the body as an active participant in constructing reality and meaning .

Flesh of the World

" The world and I are within one another . " This concept suggests that subject and object , self and world , are intertwined through a shared fabric of existence .

MICHEL SERRES

The Parasite

" Noise is the foundation of any system . " Serres explores how disruption and interference (noise) are generative forces within systems , creating new connections and possibilities .

The Natural Contract

" We must extend the social contract to include the earth itself . " Serres advocates for a rethinking of relationships between humans and the environment based on mutual respect and responsibility .

BRUNO LATOUR

Actor-Network Theory

" Objects too have agency . " Latour’s theory dissolves the boundary between human and non-human actors , viewing all entities as part of dynamic networks of influence .

Matters of Concern

" From matters of fact to matters of concern . " Latour argues for a shift from static facts to relational concerns that recognise complexity and multiplicity in truth-making processes .

ERIN MANNING

The Minor Gesture

" The minor gesture creates openings for the not-yet . " Manning emphasises subtle , peripheral actions that disrupt dominant systems and open spaces for transformation .

Relationscapes

" Movement is a relational act . " Manning explores how movement and affect co-constitute relational landscapes , weaving individual and collective experiences .

GLORIA ANZALDÚA

Borderlands

" A borderland is a vague and undetermined place created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary . " Anzaldúa’s concept explores the liminality and hybridity of spaces at the intersection of identities , cultures , and geographies .

Nepantla

" Nepantla is the in-between space where transformation happens . " This concept describes the state of being between worlds , a space of potential and becoming .

ANNA TSING

Entangled Life

" Life is lived in patches . " Tsing highlights the interconnected and interdependent nature of ecological systems and human economies , resisting linear narratives of progress .

Salvage Accumulation

" Capitalism thrives on what it did not produce . " Tsing critiques the way global systems extract value from remnants , marginal spaces , and ecological leftovers .

BYUNG-CHUL HAN

The Burnout Society

" We are no longer disciplined subjects but achievement subjects . " Han critiques the pressures of self-optimisation and productivity in contemporary society , which lead to exhaustion and alienation .

Transparency Society

" Total transparency leads to the end of trust . " Han explores how the demand for openness and visibility undermines intimacy and depth in social and personal relationships .

DAVID ABRAM

The Spell of the Sensuous

" Perception is always participatory . " Abram emphasises the reciprocity between humans and the natural world , where perception is an embodied act of connection .

Animism

" The world is alive with presence . " Abram reclaims animism as a way of experiencing the vitality and agency of the more-than-human world .

KAREN BARAD

Agential Realism

" Agency is not an attribute but a doing . " Barad’s theory challenges traditional boundaries between subject and object , proposing that matter and meaning emerge through interactions .

Quantum Entanglement

" Inseparability is the ontological condition of the universe . " Barad uses the concept of entanglement to highlight the interconnectedness of all entities and phenomena .

GIORGIO AGAMBEN

Bare Life

" The camp is the nomos of the modern . " Agamben explores how sovereign power reduces individuals to mere biological existence , stripped of political and social value .

Potentiality

" Potentiality is not non-being but the capacity to not be . " Agamben examines the tension between what is and what could be , focusing on the potential for transformation and resistance .

JAMES BRIDLE

New Dark Age

" As our world grows more complex , it becomes harder to see . " Bridle critiques the opacity of technology and its role in amplifying ignorance amidst information overload .

Cloud Thinking

" The cloud is everywhere and nowhere . " Bridle explores the physical and metaphorical implications of cloud computing , highlighting its environmental and social costs .

PETER SLOTERDIJK

Spheres

" Existence is co-existence in shared spaces . " Sloterdijk’s concept of spheres examines the creation of shared environments , from intimate bubbles to global systems .

Anthropotechnics

" Humans are self-designing animals . " Sloterdijk explores how humans actively shape their environments and themselves through rituals , practices , and technologies .

EMANUELE COCCIA

The Life of Plants

" Life happens in the air . " Coccia rethinks plants as central actors in the web of life , connecting humans and non-humans through breath and atmosphere .

Metaphysics of Mixture

" Everything exists through everything else . " Coccia emphasises the interconnectedness of all existence , dissolving boundaries between beings and environments .

BRUCE BÉGOUT

Ambiance

" L’ambiance n’est ni dans les choses , ni dans l’espace , ni dans le temps : elle est une pure présence qui enveloppe les êtres et les lieux . " Bégout décrit l’ambiance comme une émanation immatérielle , dernière trace d’un rapport primordial au monde , échappant à toute localisation ou fixation .

JANE BENNETT

Vibrant Matter

" There is a vitality intrinsic to matter . " Bennett highlights how even non-living objects possess agency , influencing systems and relationships .

Thing-Power

" Things have their own force , their own agency . " This concept decentralises human dominance by acknowledging the active role of objects in shaping the world .

ELIZABETH GROSZ

Material Creativity

" Matter itself carries the force of invention . " Grosz describes matter as inherently dynamic and creative , continuously involved in processes of becoming .

Chaos and Art

" Art emerges at the edge of chaos . " Grosz explores how art is born from the interaction between chaos and order , driven by the potentialities of matter .

ALFRED NORTH WHITEHEAD

Actual Occasions

" Reality is made up of events , not substances . " Whitehead proposes that the fundamental units of existence are dynamic events that interconnect to form experience .

Prehension

" To exist is to feel and to relate . " This concept highlights how all entities integrate and respond to their environment through a fundamental form of perception .

TIM INGOLD

Lines and Meshwork

" Life is a mesh of interwoven paths . " Ingold describes the world as a web of interconnected relationships , emphasising flow and relationality .

Dwelling Perspective

" To inhabit is to know . " Ingold suggests that understanding emerges from living and interacting with the environment rather than observing it from outside .

MANUEL DELANDA

Assemblages

" Assemblages are composed of heterogeneous elements working together in open systems . " DeLanda expands on Deleuze’s concept , emphasising their emergent and dynamic properties .

Nonlinear History

" History does not follow a straight line . " DeLanda critiques deterministic narratives , proposing instead a history shaped by contingency and complexity .

LUCIANA PARISI

Technoecologies

" Technology and environments co-evolve . " Parisi explores how computational systems interact with physical environments , forming dynamic ecological networks .

Abstract Sex

" Desire is no longer tied to the body . " Parisi examines the digital and virtual dimensions of sexuality , where technology reshapes corporeality and reproduction .

VICKI KIRBY

Natureculture

" Nature and culture are co-constitutive . " Kirby challenges the separation between natural and cultural domains , proposing their inherent entanglement .

Originary Humanicity

" Humanity is already inscribed in matter . " This concept reframes the human as an emergent potential within the material world , dissolving boundaries between human and non-human .

EDUARDO KOHN

Anthropology Beyond the Human

" To think with forests is to recognise their capacity to represent and to act . " Kohn expands anthropology to include non-human forms of thought and agency .

Living Signs

" Life is a semiotic process . " Kohn draws from Peirce’s semiotics to propose that all life forms engage in meaning-making through signs .

Non-Human Semiosis

" Forests communicate through signs . " Kohn explores how non-human entities participate in semiotic processes , forming complex networks of meaning .