The Amphibious Nature of Energeia. Notes on the Concepts of “Act” and “Potency” in Giorgio Agamben
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/isegoria.2020.063.17Keywords:
Potency, Act, Impotency, Amphibology, Politics, OntologyAbstract
This article aims at demonstrating that the theory of potency developed by Giorgio Agamben lacks a fundamental aspect. The Italian philosopher has pointed out the amphibious nature of potency (the potential to- and the potential not to). However, his analysis does not cover the act, thus failing to observe its amphibious nature. We will demonstrate that this insufficiency lies at the root of several problems –whether ontological, political, aesthetic, ethical, etc.– found in Agamben’s thinking.
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