Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Theory and Criticism

Supervisor

Plug, Jan

2nd Supervisor

Rajan, Tilottama

Abstract

This dissertation interrogates the role of ontology in the later work of contemporary French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard. While the role of ethics and aesthetics in Lyotard’s thought is well documented, the place and value of ontology remains an open question. On the one hand, Lyotard often aligns himself with the post-metaphysical form of philosophy espoused by many in the continental tradition of the 20th century. On the other hand, references to being and ontology—the domain of classical metaphysics par excellence—are commonly found in the less read corners of Lyotard’s oeuvre. In exploring this ambiguity, my dissertation shows that ontology is an integral part of Lyotard’s later aesthetic thinking. Beginning with a survey of Lyotard’s so-called magnum opus, The Differend, which provides the foundations for the entirety of his later philosophizing, I show that the ontological dimension of what he calls the “phrase” constitutes the fundamental problematic of the text and how this problematic is aligned with aesthetics in his subsequent work. In the chapters that follow, my dissertation then traces how Lyotard moves toward a concretization of his formal ontology in four different regimes, with a chapter dedicated to each regime: materiality, thinking, and art. In addition to showing how ontology is inflected in many of Lyotard’s fundamental concepts, such as the sublime, the immemorial, melancholy, the anima, anamnesis, and form, these chapters also trace an ontogenetic path that traverses human existence. My aim is to continue the reconsideration of a philosopher who continues to be underappreciated in the philosophical tradition, and my inquiry here contributes not only to a fuller understanding of Lyotard’s later work in itself but also a more robust understanding of how his thinking addresses persistent problems found within the field of continental philosophy.

Summary for Lay Audience

This dissertation examines the role of ontology—the study of being as such—in the later work of contemporary French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard, an aspect of his work that remains largely unexplored. In particular, the dissertation looks at how ontology provides a ground for the development of Lyotard’s aesthetics after the publication of The Differend, an important turning point in his thinking. I begin with a survey of the ontological core of The Differend and how this core is modified as it is aligned with aesthetics. In the chapters that follow, my dissertation then traces how Lyotard moves toward a concretization of his formal ontology in three different regimes: materiality, thinking, and art. In doing so, it shows how ontology is inflected in many of Lyotard’s fundamental concepts, such as the sublime, the immemorial, melancholy, and anamnesis. My aim is to continue the reconsideration of a philosopher who continues to be underappreciated in the philosophical tradition, and my inquiry here contributes to a fuller understanding of both Lyotard’s later work and how his thinking addresses persistent problems found within the field of continental philosophy.

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