Times that bind: Theories of political obligation considered through Bergson's and Deleuze's philosophies of time

Justin Chandler Mueller, Purdue University

Abstract

This dissertation critiques the ways in which political obligations - our moral duty to obey the law, or political authorities - have been traditionally conceptualized, and philosophically justified and contested. The principal theoretical limitation traditional approaches impose is the masking and spatialization of time. Time, as understood here, is not just a passive background feature of the material universe. It is instead an immanent force of change itself, and a vital, mutable element of our experience. By prioritizing time and temporality, and drawing from the philosophies of time developing by Henri Bergson and Gilles Deleuze, we can trace the ways in which particular conceptualizations of political obligation, such as those that appeal to consent, fairness, membership, justice, or social contract, are made possible or meaningless for groups and individuals. We can also understand how conventional theories of political obligation have functioned as disciplinary constructs and mechanisms of control. After developing this critique, I provide a reconsideration of how we can conceptualize political obligations in a way that integrates temporality, and thus avoids the theoretical limitations and political obstacles posed by the occlusion of time. This project will allow us to realign and reinvigorate debates over political obligation. It will also enrich the literature on Bergson and Deleuze by demonstrating how their theoretical frameworks on time can be used to analyze a political problem that is usually confined to the concerns of liberal political theory.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Weinstein, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Philosophy|Political science

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