Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Deconstructing Place: Objectivity and the Theory of Lived-Space from Husserl to Casey
Edward Slowik, Winona State University
12:05 pm, 817R Cathedral of Learning

Abstract: This presentation will explore a popular movement within contemporary continental philosophy and the philosophy of the social sciences that is often dubbed the study of “place”, or “lived-space”, due to its emphasis on the human experience of space, both personal and social. In particular, we will investigate the work of several prominent lived-space theorists, e.g., Deleuze, Malpas, and Casey, as regards the role of objectivity and the problem of relativism/subjectivism. As will be argued, a general neglect and misunderstanding of the multi-faceted character of spatial geometry—a misunderstanding which might be traced to the influence of the early phenomenologists, principally the later Husserl and Heidegger—has played a major role in bringing about the relativist dilemma that afflicts the contemporary lived-space movement. By incorporating various geometrical concepts within the analysis of place, it is demonstrated that the lived-space theorists can gain a better insight into the objective spatial relationships among individuals and within groups—and, more importantly, this appeal to mathematical content need not be construed as undermining the basic tenants of the lived-space with the objectivity of space.